US State Department blasts Houthis for attack on Saudi oil refinery in Riyadh

US State Department blasts Houthis for attack on Saudi oil refinery in Riyadh
March 20, 2021, 10:49 am

The State Department building in Washington, DC. (File Photo: AP)

The United States Friday condemned the latest Houthi attack, which targeted an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and caused a fire.

The Iran-backed Houthis have escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia since US President Joe Biden took office and revoked the terror designation against the Yemeni group. Biden also removed three senior Houthi officials from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list.

“We have seen that the Houthis claimed responsibility for these attacks and condemn the Houthis’ attempts to disrupt global energy supplies by targeting Saudi infrastructure,” a State Department official told reporters during a phone briefing.

Such attacks demonstrate a an utter lack of concern for safety of the civilians that work and live near the oil refineries, Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter said.

We remain deeply concerned by the frequency of attacks on Saudi Arabia,” Porter added.

The Houthis have escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia since US President Joe Biden took office and revoked the terror designation against the Yemeni group. Biden also removed three senior Houthi officials from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list.