Iran struck Saudi Aramco’s SAMREF refinery—a joint venture with ExxonMobil—in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast Thursday, escalating its barrage on Gulf energy giants amid the spiraling conflict with Israel and the US.
Damage was minimal, per insiders, but follows Iran’s IRGC evacuation warnings for oil sites across Saudi, UAE, and Qatar after Israel’s hit on the massive South Pars gas field. Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG took heavy blows earlier, with Doha reporting “extensive damage” and expelling Iranian officials.
Trump vows to “massively blow up” Iran’s South Pars if Qatar faces more fire; Riyadh mulls retaliation after repeated hits.
Saudi intercepted threats near US bases; oil surges past $108/bbl as Hormuz stays choked.
Israel eyes “surprises” post-Iran intel chief kill; regional chaos displaces millions, nuclear scares at Bushehr linger.
Global markets reel as energy hubs burn—watch for Saudi response and Trump’s next play.
