Massive Drone and Missile Attack Devastates Saudi Aramco Oil Facilities

Coordinated drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities temporarily wipe out 5% of global oil supply, with the US blaming Iran.

On September 14, 2019, over a dozen drones and cruise missiles struck the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure — the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oilfield — temporarily knocking out 5.7 million barrels per day of production, roughly 5% of global supply. Yemen's Houthi rebels (backed by Iran) claimed responsibility, but the US and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran directly, with US officials saying the strikes were launched from Iranian soil. Iran denied involvement. Oil prices spiked 15% — the largest single-day surge in over 30 years. The attack demonstrated the vulnerability of global energy markets to Iran's proxy network and marked one of the most audacious asymmetric strikes in the US-Iran shadow conflict.