What happened

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted armed drones and a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi movement toward Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura petroleum tank farm and an Aramco residential compound in Dhahran on 7 March 2021. Saudi officials said all the drones were shot down and the missile intercepted, with no casualties or property damage, though shrapnel from the intercepted missile fell near the Dhahran compound. Saudi Arabia separately stated that the Ras Tanura oil-export hub was unscathed and that crude exports continued as normal. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the attack and said further strikes on Aramco facilities were the group's 'natural right' in retaliation for the Saudi-led coalition's actions in Yemen; the coalition responded with airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa. A separately Houthi-claimed attack reported for the preceding Thursday was not confirmed by Saudi authorities or Aramco in the reviewed reporting, so this record covers only the confirmed 7 March episode. Oil prices reportedly rose to a roughly 14-month high following the attack, reflecting market concern about Gulf export security rather than a confirmed supply loss, since Saudi Arabia maintained that no facility was damaged.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.