Extremists Attack Saudi Oil Facilities After Biden Removed Them From Terrorist List

On Friday, a group of Iranian-backed extremists, which President Biden had recently removed from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list, claimed credit for an attack on Saudi energy facilities.

“At (1725), Saudi Aramco’s Bulk Plant in Jeddah was targeted with an act of aggression, the early indications of which suggest that it was targeted by the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia,” the Saudi Press Agency said in a statement. “A fire erupted in (2) tanks in the oil facility; the fire was controlled, and no injuries or loss of life were recorded. This hostile escalation targets oil facilities, and aims to undermine energy security and the backbone of global economy. These hostile attacks had no impact or repercussions in any way, shape or form on public life in Jeddah City.”

Iranian-backed Houthi extremists later claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that they “did several attacks with drones and ballistic missiles” in Saudi Arabia, including an “Aramco installation in Jeddah (and) vital installations in Riyadh.”

#UPDATE Iran-backed Huthi rebels: "We did several attacks with drones and ballistic missiles" in Saudi Arabia, including an "Aramco installation in Jeddah (and) vital installations in Riyadh" pic.twitter.com/RqZNBXOGz5

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 25, 2022

The news comes a few months after Houthi extremists launched a missile attack that killed dozens of civilians in Yemen.

“A Houthi ballistic missile attack on a mosque and a religious school killed and injured 29 civilians, including women and children, in the Yemeni province of Marib,” Reuters reported. “There was no immediate claim of responsibility by the Iranian-backed Houthis. … The war in Yemen and ensuring economic collapse as well as restrictions on imports to Houthi-held areas have caused what the United Nations says is the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with 16 million people facing starvation.”

The group had been designated as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration less than two weeks before President Biden took office. However, Biden quickly removed the group’s terrorist designation.