File Photo: A petroleum refinery in the port city of Al-Jubayl, one of several such plants in Saudi Arabia. AFP
"An attack caused a fire at the SABIC plants in Jubail. The sounds of explosions were very loud," the source told AFP, referring to the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation.
Jubail in eastern Saudi Arabia is home to one of the world's largest industrial cities, where steel, gasoline, petrochemicals, lubricating oil, and chemical fertilisers are produced.
The attack on the industrial area came as Saudi air defence forces engaged a barrage targeting the kingdom's eastern region, with seven ballistic missiles intercepted and destroyed, according to a defence ministry spokesperson.
"Parts of ballistic missile debris fell around power facilities; damage assessment is underway," the ministry said in a post on X.
Iran has reportedly struck energy infrastructure in the Arab Gulf region in what it described as retaliation for US-Israeli attacks on its energy infrastructure.
On Monday, Israel carried out two strikes on Iran's largest petrochemical facility in Asaluyeh, and Iranian media reported multiple explosions at the site.
Early Tuesday, Saudi authorities also announced the temporary closure of the major bridge connecting Saudi Arabia and the island nation of Bahrain as a precaution following the issuance of security alerts in the area.
"The movement of vehicles across King Fahd Bridge has been suspended as a precautionary measure," said the General Authority for King Fahd Causeway in a post online.
The causeway is a 25-kilometre (16-mile) series of bridges connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Hours later, authorities said the bridge had been reopened to traffic.
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