Ryad (AFP)
A drone attack claimed by Yemeni rebels sparked fires on Saturday in two oil installations of giant Aramco in Saudi Arabia, an action immediately condemned by the United States who accused Iran of being responsible.
After the third such attack in five months against the infrastructure of the oil juggernaut, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that his country had "the will and the ability to face and respond to this terrorist aggression". during a telephone interview with US President Donald Trump.
"The United States strongly condemns today's attack on important energy infrastructure: Violent actions against civilian areas and vital infrastructure for the global economy only exacerbate conflict and mistrust" said the White House after the phone call.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was even more explicit, not hesitating to point fingers at Iran: "Iran has launched an unprecedented attack on global energy supplies."
"We call on all countries to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks, and the United States will work with our partners and allies to supply the energy markets and hold Iran accountable for its aggression. ", he added.
After the attack, Ryad, the world's largest exporter of black gold, had to cut its oil production by half, which represents about five million barrels of oil per day, or about 5% of the world's crude oil production per day, according to the US daily Wall Street Journal.
Aramco's security teams intervened to put out fires in Abqaiq and Khurais, and "the two fires were controlled," according to the Interior Ministry. An investigation was opened and authorities tightened security around the two targeted sites, preventing journalists from approaching.
- "Tapping into stocks" -
The attack did not cause any injuries, AFP spokesman Mansour al-Turki told AFP.
The Abqaiq site, 60 km southwest of Dahran, the oil giant's main headquarters, is home to Aramco's largest oil processing plant, according to its website. Khurais, 250 km from Dahran, is one of the main oil fields of the public company.
"Depending on the extent of the damage and possible breakdowns, Aramco will use its emergency plans by drawing on its stocks," Samir Madani, co-founder of the Tanker Trackers maritime monitoring site, told AFP. "There could be supply disruptions if the damage to Abqaiq is significant".
The attack comes as Aramco prepares for its IPO that is to take place "soon", according to new CEO Amin Nasser.
In a statement, the Houthis, Yemeni faction politically supported by Tehran, Ryad's great regional rival, reported "a major operation against refineries in Abqaiq and Khurais".
The Houthis, who routinely claim drones or missiles against targets in Saudi Arabia, say they are responding in response to the airstrikes by the military coalition led by Ryad, which has been intervening since 2015 in the Yemen war launched in 2014 by an offensive. Houthis, who have seized vast swathes of territory including the capital Sanaa. The conflict has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world according to the UN.
- Serious threat -
The attack was condemned by several Arab Gulf countries and Egypt.
In a statement, UN envoy Yemen Martin Griffiths said "the recent military escalation is extremely worrying", calling on "all parties to restraint" and "to avoid endangering the process of negotiations initiated by the UN. "
According to experts, attacks by Yemeni rebels show that they have sophisticated weapons and pose a serious threat to Saudi Arabia and especially to its oil facilities.
On 14 May, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone strike in the Ryad region, as opposed to two pumping stations in an east-west pipeline that temporarily shut down operations on the island. pipeline.
This operation had added to the growing tensions in the Gulf region, following attacks and acts of sabotage against oil tankers in May and June, blamed by the United States and its Saudi ally to Iran for denying any involvement.
The destruction of an American drone, entered Iranian airspace according to Tehran, caused fears of a general conflagration. Donald Trump then claimed to have canceled at the last minute strikes retaliation.
© 2019 AFP