I am reproducing an article by Bioplastics News of the timeline of the disabling of Saudi refineries and other drone strikes on Aramco industry, since the illegal Israeli-US war on Iran began on February 26th 2026.
Saudi Arabia Under Fire: Oilfields, Refineries and Pipelines Hit Since the Iran War Began
Reporting cutoff: 29 October 2026. Reported attacks and claims are distinguished from confirmed damage.
2 March: Ras Tanura refinery
Saudi Aramco temporarily shut its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone attack. Saudi officials said two drones were intercepted and debris caused a limited fire; no injuries were reported. The refinery has a nameplate capacity of 550,000 barrels per day (bpd), but that figure is processing capacity, not a confirmed volume of crude production lost. The shutdown was described as precautionary. Reuters report, 2 March.
4 March: Ras Tanura targeted again
Saudi Arabia reported another attempted drone attack on Ras Tanura. The defence ministry said there was no damage and the energy ministry reported no disruption to supplies. Reuters cited sources saying the site had been struck, without details of damage. Reuters report, 4 March.
Late September–3 October: Yanbu and Riyadh claims
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it had targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu with missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles directed toward Taif and the Yanbu area but did not report damage to Aramco installations. On 3 October, the Houthis said they attacked an Aramco facility in Riyadh using ballistic missiles and drones. A Reuters witness observed smoke and fire nearby; Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed a direct hit. Reuters report, 3 October.
13–14 October: Aramco headquarters, Dhahran
A ballistic missile hit Aramco’s headquarters complex in Dhahran, according to a company source cited by Reuters. The upper floors of an office tower were damaged and a fire broke out. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry acknowledged a limited fire and said no deaths or injuries occurred. Subsequent Reuters reporting described more extensive interior damage, while saying operations continued. This was an attack on a corporate and operations complex, not evidence that a corresponding number of barrels of oil production had stopped. Reuters, 13 October; Reuters, 14 October.
24 October: pipeline, refinery and airport targets claimed
The Houthis claimed attacks against an Aramco facility at Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, pumping stations on the East–West Pipeline, Riyadh airport and other locations. Saudi authorities reported missile interceptions and falling debris, but did not confirm that all the claimed energy targets were hit. Claims of strikes should not be equated with verified destruction or lost throughput. Reuters, 24 October.
What the capacity figures mean
The clearest reported refinery disruption in this chronology is the temporary shutdown at Ras Tanura, rated at 550,000 bpd. That is refinery capacity, not an independently verified loss of Saudi crude production. For the later attacks and claimed targets, reliable public reporting does not establish a cumulative barrels-per-day production loss. Missile interceptions, temporary shutdowns, physical damage and sustained production outages are different measures and should not be added together.
Assessment
Saudi energy infrastructure has faced repeated threats since the wider Iran conflict began in late February 2026. The attacks have shifted from early drone incidents on the Gulf coast to Houthi missile-and-drone operations and claims involving refineries, pipeline infrastructure and Aramco offices. The scale of verified physical damage varies substantially by incident. This chronology reflects reporting available through 29 October 2026 and distinguishes independently reported events from belligerents’ unconfirmed claims.
Russian satellites have consistently appeared in the skies above facilities in Saudi Arabia that Iranian-backed Houthis and Iraqi militia groups have struck with missiles and drones over the past several months, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Nawaf Obaid, founder of the Geneva-based firm AURORAH Geosignal Intelligence, told the news agency that he and his colleagues tracked 72 Russian military and government satellites between July and October, finding them orbiting above Saudi sites before and after they were attacked.
“What we found is a 100% match,” Obaid said.
The targeted facilities include Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, which was forced to shut down immediately after it was attacked in September.
Another example is the Kind Fahd Air Base. When the base was attacked last month, an Italian fighter jet was struck while a nearby Saudi aircraft was left unscathed.
Obaid said the apparent precision of the strike on Kind Fahd suggests vital intelligence is being collected and transferred for Houthi and Iraqi militia targeting, given that the groups lack sophisticated reconnaissance capabilities on their own.
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
