Saudi Arabia says it ‘won’t bear any responsibility’ for oil shortages after Houthi attack

Saudi Arabia said it will not take responsibility for the downstream impact of the recent attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on state-run oil facilities, in an apparent swipe at the U.S. handling of Yemen’s civil war. 

The largest oil exporter in the world “declares that it will not bear any responsibility for any shortage in oil supplies to global markets in light of the attacks on its oil facilities,” according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The foreign ministry released its statement “in light of the attacks on its oil facilities from the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militias.”

U.S.-Saudi tensions have already risen amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Saudi leaders have largely resisted calls to increase supply to stabilize energy markets and offset embargoed Russian oil.

Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said Sunday that drones and missile strikes hit a petroleum products distribution terminal, a natural gas plant and a refinery, among other facilities owned by the state-run petroleum giant Aramco.

The ministry said the attacks “led to a temporary reduction in the refinery’s production, which will be compensated for from the inventory.”

The foreign ministry called Western countries to join Saudi Arabia in condemnation of Iran and the Houthis, “deterring their malicious attacks that represents direct threat to the security of oil supplies in these extremely sensitive circumstances witnessed by the global energy markets.”

The U.S. government has been increasingly critical of the Saudis since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was lured to and killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.  

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and tensions over Yemen’s civil war, which have led to bipartisan criticism from Congress, have added to the strife. 

However, the Biden administration has reportedly been looking to reset relations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as it reorients foreign policy to exert maximum pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the U.S. has sent a “significant number” of Patriot antimissile interceptors to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, following a request from Riyadh to ensure it has the defensive supplies to counter Houthi attacks.