Flames and heavy smoke were seen rising from Saudi Aramco’s Khurais oil facilities following an alleged strike claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Khurais complex, located southeast of Riyadh, ranks among Saudi Arabia’s largest oil fields and holds a production capacity of roughly 1.5 million barrels of crude oil per day. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced that the group had targeted Aramco sites in both Riyadh and Khurais with ballistic missiles and drones, asserting that the operations caused large fires. Satellite imagery captured in the days after the claim showed smoke emerging near the facility and drifting across the area. The incident forms part of a broader escalation in cross-border attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Visual evidence of the smoke has circulated widely even as official Saudi confirmation of the precise extent of any damage remains limited.

Khurais plays a central role in Saudi oil production and sits along key infrastructure that includes segments of the East-West pipeline. Previous major attacks on the field, notably in 2019, temporarily disrupted global oil markets and highlighted its strategic importance. The latest reports of fire and smoke arrive amid intensified Houthi claims of strikes on Saudi energy and military targets and reciprocal Saudi-led operations inside Yemen. Energy analysts are watching closely for any confirmed impact on output or exports from the site. Whether the visible smoke reflects a direct hit on processing units or a more limited incident, the episode underscores the vulnerability of critical Gulf oil infrastructure to long-range drone and missile attacks. The situation continues to evolve as both sides exchange claims and satellite data is further examined.