Houthi rebels initially claimed the attacks on key Saudi oil processing facilities, though U.S. officials have since said they have evidence of Iran's involvement.
In the early hours of Sept. 14, a barrage of cruise missile and drone strikes damaged the Abqaiq and Khurais crude processing and stabilization facilities belonging to Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco). The resulting destruction of the facilities' infrastructure initially cut Saudi Arabia's daily oil production in half, amounting to 5 percent of the global daily total, causing oil prices to spike. The Abqaiq crude stabilization plant is the world's largest; it processed most of Saudi Arabia's onshore crude oil prior to the attack. In the immediate aftermath, there were fears the resulting damage would stifle the country's oil exports for months. But on Sept. 17, Riyadh said it had already restored 50 percent of its lost oil production and that rest would follow by the end of September.
