Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:18am on 19 Mar 2026,Thursday International
A drone struck near the SAMREF refinery in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, as Iran expanded attacks on Gulf energy sites. The refinery, run by Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil, saw limited damage, though a fire was reported. The strike followed similar hits in Qatar and the UAE. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had warned of attacks on oil and gas sites across the region. The move is seen as retaliation for US-Israel strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field. Yanbu is a key export route after the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted. Attacks on Fujairah port and Ras Laffan have raised concerns over global oil supply. (PC: X)
