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Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Half of Its Oil Production After Drone Attack: Sources

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack on the world’s largest oil exporter.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group has claimed responsibility for drone attacks that set Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure ablaze on Saturday, shutting down half of its oil output. Two Aramco plants, including the world’s largest oil processing facility, were set on fire in drone attacks, according to Reuters. Saudi Arabia’s state run media said the fires were brought under control but did not report the extent of the damage to its facilities except to say oil exports were continuing. BBC quoted Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Sarea warning that further attacks could be expected. The Wall Street Journal reports that the shutdown amounts to a loss of about five million barrels a day, roughly 5 percent of the world’s daily production of crude oil and about half of the country’s output.