Iran escalates drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, raising Gulf supply risks
(Bloomberg) – Iran has intensified drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days, increasingly targeting the kingdom’s oil-producing regions and raising concerns over potential disruptions to Gulf energy infrastructure.
Saudi defense officials reported that nearly 100 drones were launched on Monday—the largest single-day barrage since the conflict began—well above the previous daily average. The attacks have been concentrated in the kingdom’s eastern province, home to critical oil production and processing facilities.
The escalation highlights growing risks to regional energy supply chains, particularly as tensions continue to threaten key export routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil flows.
Iran has increasingly relied on drone strikes rather than missiles, allowing it to sustain a steady pace of attacks while targeting multiple sites across the Gulf. While individual drones carry smaller payloads, their volume and persistence present ongoing challenges for air-defense systems and energy infrastructure operators.
Additional strikes have been reported in the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the broader regional risk to oil and gas facilities as the conflict continues to evolve.
See also: Saudi Arabia drives OPEC output higher ahead of Iran conflict, survey shows
Map source: Global Energy Infrastructure
