Policy Alert: Rising Powers Rattled by Attack on Saudi Oil Facility

On September 14, 2019, a large oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia was incapacitated in a drone attack. The Saudi Aramco facility in Abqaiq is one of the world’s largest processing centers for crude oil, with some estimates of its capacity at five million barrels per day. Houthi rebels based in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack and called for an end to the ongoing civil war in the country, in which the Houthi rebels are backed by Iran and the Yemeni government are supported by Saudi Arabia. Despite the claim, both Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of perpetrating the attack. With tensions in the region already running high with the US’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reinstatement of economic sanctions against Iran and its trade partners, the Rising Powers are bracing themselves for ripple effects. Read the full Policy Alert here.