If of course, this be true...the devastation of the key city processing plants of Saudi Arabia...this will spread panic through the markets...the teetering system of mega bubble debt finance will fall
Drone attacks trigger huge fires at Saudi Aramco oil facilities, Houthis claim responsibility
…from Russia Today, Moscow
MASSIVE FIRES ERUPT AFTER DRONE STRIKE HITS WORLD’S LARGEST OIL PROCESSING FACILITY IN SAUDI ARABIA
Gunfire also heard after attack — no word yet on casualties or injuries
Zero Hedge - SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 13 Comentarios
IMAGE CREDITS: @AALSALMAN91/TWITTER.
What appears to be the most devastating Yemen Houthi rebel attack on Saudi Arabia to date, took place overnight on the world’s largest oil processing facility as stunning videos emerged of massive explosions rocking the major Aramco Buqyaq facility.
Fires burned into the morning daylight hours, with explosions also reported at the Khurais oil field, in what the Houthis said was a successful attack involving ten drones. “These attacks are our right, and we warn the Saudis that our targets will keep expanding,” a rebel military spokesman said on Houthi-operated Al Masirah TV.
Oil To Hit $100? Pompeo Blames Iran For "Unprecedented" Drone Attack That Crippled Largest Saudi Oil Processing Facilit by Tyler Durden Sat, 09/14/2019 - 09:41
Update 2: In a sharp, if perhaps not unexpected, escalation, US Secretary of State - now without John Bolton by his side - tweeted at 4pm on Saturday, that contrary to earlier reports, "there is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen" and instead accused Iran of launching today's "unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply" which has now indefinitely taken offline as much as 5mmb/d in Saudi crude production.
In a follow up tweet, Pompeo said that he calls "on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran’s attacks" which is odd as not even Saudi Arabia accused Iran of today's aggression (which many speculated could have been a Saudi false flag in hopes of sending the price of oil soaring ahead of the Aramco IPO). Pompeo concluded that "the United States will work with our partners and allies to ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable for its aggression."
Will this pivot away from Houthis to Iran as the "origin" of the attack be sufficient grounds to re-inflame tensions between the US and Iran, especially following last week's news that one of the reasons Bolton was fired was due to his hard-line stance on Iran even as Trump was willing to sit down with the Tehran regime for negotiations. Since the deep state stands to make much more money from war rather than peace, our guess is that the answer is a resounding "yes."
sorry can{t cut and paste from this border town.......so Pompeo denies it was a Houthi militia drone attack, rather from the northwest! His Democrat and Republikan allies are demanding retaliation vs. Iran...while the Houthiis are threatening further attacks...this is all a game changer in so many ways....that a impoverished militia can take out the largest oil processing plant on the planet for its invasion of Yemen, that the imperialists claim that all these attacks vs. Saudi Arabia are Iranian!
Of course any even miner attack, even symbolic, will face serious retaliation...something has to give here or we do face catastrophic consequences........
“We warn companies and foreigners not to be present in the facilities that were hit in the strikes because they are still within range and may be targeted at any moment.”
meanwhile the US has unleashed its strategic oil reserve to calm the markets....Trump claiming that the US is safe from the loss of availability...what with its fracking industry collapsing?
And Wall Street?
According to Hajizadeh, the Iranian military are ready to target two US bases and one carrier in the event of an armed conflict.
"Al-Udeid base in Qatar, az-Zafra base in the UAE and a US vessel in the Gulf of Oman would be targeted if Washington took military action," the commander said.
Was this a false flag, or is Iranian military tech, supplied to it's allies very advanced and lethal?
Hard to say hey?
With the run up of incidents so far, I'm going to speculate that Iran's military tech and prepardeness suggests that Iran wants a military conflict with the US to resolve the US bans
I'll also speculate that the US has no choice but to negotiate with Iran. And Iran is either directly or through proxy trying to strengthen it's hand at the negotiating table.
So far it appears to be working.
I opened this thread as I thought its urgency and multiple countries involved, demanded this. I just posted on the Iran thread, some explanation to suggest this may have been an Israeli attack, piggybacking the Houthiis attempt.
Further investigations are needed......and the suggestion that this attack may be symbolic of the growing rift in the Israeli/Saudi Alliance!
[that Iran wants a military conflict with the US to resolve the US bans]...I suggest that Iran´s concerns may have been put to bed, by China´s open support!
Sorry but the more I think about this incident, the more I'm convinced that it is exactly as what it appears. A successful Houthis strike at Saudia Arabia!
Israel and false flag claims make absolutely no sense anymore. To suggest Israel is responsible would be to suggest that Iran and it's proxies lack the ability to. And in the last year, Iran/Syria has shown some impressive retaliation! In fact, I suggest that the Iran/Syria/North Korea military tech advancements has been seriously downplayed by the imperialist corporate media!!!
Jeopordizing Saudi's ability to supply oil ultimately strengthens Iran's hands. Why the fuck would Israel/US risk this?
Furthermore, I have stated here that I believe that Iran wants a war with the US/ISrael/Saudia Arabia! I seriously doubt the US/Israel/Saudia Arabia wants anything of the king.
These claims that the US is trying to draw Iran into a war and build support for such a war in the west is starting to become a joke! You and NDPP are going to have to start providing some substantial evidence to support this. This theory has been floated for years and years and its getting real old. You and NDPP seem to doubt Iran/Russia/China's military abilities against NATO/Israel/Saudia Arabia
Fascinating mystery story. I tend to believe the people who claimed responsibility from Yemen. I think Iran is the least likely to have attacked unprovoked, that is not its style. I also think that the Israeli election might be a good time for a false flag operation to hype up the Iranian bogeyman.
The bottom line is that some members of the oiligarchy will, like always, make a lot of money.
First, in terms of trade war, Chinese tariffs on oil imports from the US will undermine the US position as the world’s ‘new champion oil producer.’ Second, in terms of regional geo-politics, import of oil from Iran will boost Iran’s economy in the face of US sanctions and help Iranian economy keep afloat. Needless to say, Iran is a key territorial link for China’s Belt and Road Initiative to expand beyond Asia. Third, if the US and China fail to reach a compromise on trade disputes and their bi-lateral economic and political relations remain cold, China’s continuous reliance on US oil would become a big disadvantage. Therefore, by ridding itself of the US oil, China is preparing for a long-term war with the US, or at least doesn’t see the current dispute resolving any time sooner; hence, the move towards diversification through defiance.
Although China has recently decided to increase its domestic production of gas in Sichuan province, increasing from roughly 20 per cent at present to about 33 per cent of the country’s needs, this isn’t going to be enough for a huge economy that China is; hence, China’s increasing investment in Iran’s huge and sanctioned energy sector.
According to reports, China is set to invest about 280 billion dollars in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. This investment will in turn allow China to buy energy products from Iran at discounted prices, certainly a lot cheaper than the US oil. Although there will be a risk of the US sanctioning Chinese companies involved in buying Iranian oil, China is ready to tackle this. Entering the deal with Iran, China announced that it is not intimidated by the `secondary sanctions` the US has threatened to impose on companies and countries which continue to have economic ties with Iran.
China’s decision has massive geo-political ramifications.
– First published … September 18, 2019 –
The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces has lauded the highly disruptive drone attacks on Saudi Aramco petroleum and gas processing plants at Abqaiq and Khurais in the kingdom’s Eastern Province as an outstanding example of the military prowess of Yemeni army troops and allied fighters from Popular Committees.
“Our forces have reached a high level of efficiency and ability. They can manufacture various types of unmanned aerial vehicles in record time. The Second Deterrent Balance Operation, which targeted Saudi oil installations, is a perfect example of the capabilities of our forces in terms of planning and implementation,” Brigadier General Yahya Saree said a press conference in the capital Sana’a on Wednesday evening.
He added, “We assure the world that the free and steadfast Yemeni nation will not hesitate to respond to the (Saudi-led) coalition of aggression, and will use its legitimate right to target all targets deep inside the countries involved.”
Saree highlighted that aerial photographs, taken by Yemeni reconnaissance drones in the wake and aftermath of the operation, show the extent of damage caused on the two major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, stating that it was launched following a careful intelligence collection process.
“The destruction of the targeted facilities is far greater than what has been announced. Americans sought to publish fabricated pictures of the operation aftermath as part of attempts to downplay it. The blaze lasted for several hours and authorities in the state of aggression (Saudi Arabia) could not contain it,” the high-ranking Yemeni military official pointed out.
Saree went on to say that various kinds of combat drones were used in the Second Deterrent Balance Operation, noting that they were launched from three different locations according to their flight endurance and designated targets.
He underlined that the third generation of domestically-designed and -manufactured Qasef (Striker) combat drones, long-endurance Sammad-3 (Invincible-3) drones – which have an operational range of 1,500 kilometers to 1,700 kilometers and newly-developed drones equipped with jet engines.
Saree said each of the new drones can carry four precision-guided bombs with fissionable heads every time, and can monitor and hit their targets from several angles.
“Other aircraft were also used so the main combat drones could hide in their shadow without being detected, and signal jamming devices effectively disabled the enemy’s air missile defense systems,” he said.
The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces then cautioned the United Arab Emirates against its atrocious military campaign in Yemen, emphasizing that Emirati officials will rue the day if they continue their aggression.
“Simply one operation can inflict heavy losses upon them and strike them with a pang of regret. We hereby announce that dozens of targets in the UAE, namely in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, are within our range. We urge the aggressors to stay away from Yemen if security and safety of their infrastructure and glass towers matter to them,” Saree concluded.
Three Saudi Brigades Annihilated in Devastating Houthi Offensive in Saudi Arabia
Federico Pieraccini September 30, 2019
Many may have hitherto been led to believe that the Houthis were a ragtag armed force lacking in sophistication. Many, seeing the drone and missile attacks on Saudi oil plants, may have declared it to be a false-flag attack carried out by Riyadh to boost Aramco’s market value; either that or it was an operation carried out by Iran or even Israel. On Saturday September 28, the Houthis put paid to such speculation by confirming what many, like myself, have been writing for months; that is, that the asymmetrical tactics of the Houthis, combined with the conventional capabilities of the Yemeni army, are capable of bringing the Saudi kingdom of Mohammed Bin Salman to its knees.
The Yemeni army’s missile forces are able to carry out highly complex attacks, no doubt as a result of reconnaissance provided by the local Shia population within the Kingdom that is against the House of Saud’s dictatorship. These Houthi sympathisers within Saudi Arabia helped in target identification, carried out reconnaissance within the plants, found the most vulnerable and impactful points, and passed this intelligence on to the Houthis and Yemeni army. These Yemeni forces employed locally produced means to severely degrade Saudi Arabia’s crude-oil-extraction and processing plants. The deadly strikes halved oil production and threatened to continue with other targets if the Saudi-conducted genocide in Yemen did not stop.
On Saturday 29 the Houthis and the Yemeni army conducted an incredible conventional attack lasting three days that began from within Yemen’s borders. The operation would have involved months of intelligence gathering and operational planning. It was a far more complex attack than that conducted against Aramco’s oil facilities. Initial reports indicate that the forces of the Saudi-led coalition were lured into vulnerable positions and then, through a pincer movement conducted quickly within Saudi territory, the Houthis surrounded the town of Najran and its outskirts and got the better of three Saudi brigades numbering in the thousands and including dozens of senior officers as well as numerous combat vehicles. This event is a game changer, leaving the US, Mike Pompeo and the Israelis and Saudis unable to lay the blame on Iran as all this took place a long way from Iran.
The large-scale operation was preceded by Yemeni rocket artillery targeting Jizan airport, with 10 missiles paralyzing any movements to and from the airport, including denying the possibility of air support for the encircled troops. The Houthis also hit the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in a key operation that targeted Apache helicopters, forcing them to leave the area. Nearby military bases were also targeted so as to cut off any reinforcements and disrupt the chain of command. This led to the Saudi forces fleeing in disorganization. Images shown by the Houthis show a road in the middle of a valley on the outskirts of Najran with dozens of Saudi armored vehicles trying to flee while being attacked from both sides by Houthi RPGs together with heavy and light weapons. Visual confirmation of the debacle can be seen in the number of casualties as well as in the number of prisoners taken. Images show lines of Saudi prisoners walking under Yemeni guard towards prison camps. This is something extraordinary to behold: the Saudi army, the third largest purchaser of weapons in the world, getting comprehensively walloped by one of the poorest countries in the world. The numbers say it all: the Houthis were able to control more than 350 kilometers of Saudi territory. Given that the Saudi military budget is almost 90 billion dollars a year, this achievement is made all the more extraordinary.
Houthi forces employed drones, missiles, anti-aircraft systems, as well as electronic warfare to prevent the Saudis from supporting their troops with aviation or other means to assist their trapped men. Testimony from Saudi soldiers suggest that efforts to rescue them were half-hearted and of little effect. Saudi prisoners of war accuse their military leaders of having left them prey to their opponents.
The Yemeni army and the Houthis were within less than 10 days able to inflict a devastating blow to both the credibility of US defense systems and the Saudi military. They did this by employing creative methods suitable for the objective at hand.
They initially revealed the internal vulnerability of the Kingdom through such a level of penetration into Saudi Arabia that they were able to conduct internal reconnaissance through the assistance of infiltrators or local collaborators so as to know exactly where to hit the oil installations for maximum effect and damage.
They subsequently demonstrated their technical and cyber capabilities through an asymmetrical operation employing drones of various types as well as electronic warfare to blind the US Patriot system’s radars, in the process halving Saudi Arabia’s oil production for a period of time Aramco is yet to determine.
Finally, the most surprising and astounding aspect of these recent events is this most recent Yemeni ground operation that was carried out in hostile territory and succeeded in surrounding three brigades consisting of thousands of men and their equipment. Thousands of Yemeni soldiers loyal to Ansarullah (Houthis) took part in this successful operation, supported by drones, ground-attack aircraft and air-defense batteries. Such capabilities are ordinarily better associated with well-trained and well-equipped militaries rather than militaries coming from the Third World.
The Houthis issued a clear message to Riyadh when they hit its oil installations. They effectively let it be known that they had the means and capability to damage the Kingdom irreparably, leading ultimately to the overthrow of the House of Saud.
