Tehran denies role in strikes on Saudi Arabian energy assets

Iran has formally distanced itself from a recent spate of attacks on Saudi Arabia’s critical oil infrastructure. Speaking to Reuters, Alireza Enayati, Tehran’s ambassador to Riyadh, explicitly denied his government's involvement in the drone strikes targeting the Ras Tanura refinery and the Shaybah oilfield.

“Iran is not the party responsible for these attacks, and if Iran had carried them out, it would have announced it,” Enayati said, though he declined to identify the perpetrators.

The ambassador noted that Tehran’s military operations remain strictly focused on US and Israeli interests. Despite the escalating regional conflict, he characterised bilateral relations with Riyadh as “progressing naturally”. He highlighted ongoing cooperation concerning the repatriation and medical treatment of Iranian pilgrims. Furthermore, Enayati confirmed active dialogue regarding Saudi Arabia's public commitment to prohibit the use of its airspace and territory for strikes against Iran.

Describing the current conflict as having “been imposed on us and the region,” he stressed that a resolution requires the cessation of US and Israeli operations, regional non-interference, and robust international security guarantees. “Only then can we focus on building a prosperous region,” he added.

The diplomatic assurances follow a period of heightened security alerts. Last week, the Saudi defence ministry confirmed the interception of four drones and a ballistic missile. A ministry statement detailed that two drones directed at the Shaybah oilfield were destroyed over the Empty Quarter, while two more were intercepted north of Riyadh. The ballistic missile, which targeted the Prince Sultan Air Base in al-Kharj, was also neutralised. These interceptions follow a prior ministry report confirming the destruction of five additional inbound drones. Notably, Riyadh has refrained from attributing blame for these specific incursions.

The persistent threat profile underscores the vulnerability of Saudi Aramco’s upstream portfolio. The remote Shaybah asset holds an estimated 13.6bn barrels of oil and maintains a maximum sustainable capacity (MSC) of 1mn barrels per day of Arab Extra Light crude.

Despite the complex security environment – including a previous Houthi drone strike in 2019 – capital expenditure remains robust. Last year, the US engineering firm KBR secured a contract extending to 2028 under Aramco’s Master Expansion Programme. In a press release, KBR stated the mandate focuses on “enhancing gas handling capabilities at key regional sites to meet the Kingdom’s energy needs.” The contractor is executing critical upgrades across Shaybah’s four gas-oil separation plants, associated power facilities, and well injection infrastructure to safeguard long-term national output.