Iran war updates: Asaluyeh strikes responded, Saudi Aramco and SABIC assets targeted

RIYADH: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tuesday it launched a major retaliation against Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical infrastructure after reported attacks on its own energy facilities at Asaluyeh, which include plants tied to its South Pars gas field.

The IRGC said it struck Saudi industrial targets in the eastern city of Jubail, a key hub for the kingdom’s downstream energy sector, using medium‑range missiles and multiple suicide drones, hitting the Sadara petrochemical complex, a joint venture involving Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical, as well as other plants linked to SABIC and ExxonMobil.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its air defences intercepted and destroyed seven ballistic missiles heading toward its eastern region, with debris falling close to energy facilities, but it did not immediately confirm damage to targeted plants.

Video verified by Reuters showed smoke and flames rising over Jubail’s industrial area, underscoring the severity of the strike and the continued escalation of hostilities in the Gulf.

Iran has framed its actions as a response to reported overnight explosions at its Asaluyeh petrochemical plants, which Iranian media say were hit by strikes linked to US and Israeli operations–part of a broader conflict that has seen the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and sharp rises in global energy prices.