
The video clip goes back to a fuel tank fire on the Afghan-Iranian border in 2021, not in Riyadh.
CNN's investigation revealed that a video clip claiming a fire occurred at an oil facility in Riyadh is an old video dating back to a fire at the Islam Qala Customs Center on the border between Afghanistan and Iran in 2021, and has nothing to do with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
AI-generated summary
The circulation of the video comes in light of the escalation of tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and the targeting of infrastructure within the Kingdom.
Social media accounts circulated a video clip claiming to show scenes of the moment an oil facility in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was subjected to a massive fire.
The clip shows huge flames, thick black smoke, and people standing near the site in a desert area, which can be seen from long distances.
The video was accompanied by a misleading description that said: “Breaking news: A massive fire has broken out at an oil facility in Riyadh.”
CNN Arabic's investigation revealed that the video is old, and is not linked to a fire in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but rather dates back to a fire resulting from the ignition of oil tanks on the border between Iran and Afghanistan years ago.
By splitting the video into still shots and using a reverse search, we found a version posted on Facebook on February 13, 2021, with a caption saying: “A fire broke out in fuel tanks at the Islam Qala customs center in Herat province.”
At the time, CNN reported that more than 500 vehicles caught fire on the border between Afghanistan and Iran, after a fuel truck exploded at the site, local officials told Afghanistan's TOLO News channel.
The fire broke out in the customs office in the Islam Qala area in Herat Province, located in western Afghanistan. The accident resulted in at least 17 people being injured.
The official Iranian Press TV channel also reported that the damage was limited to the Afghan side of the border, and no damage was caused to the Iranian side of customs.
The video's circulation comes amid Houthi attacks on airports and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. The intensity of the conflict has been escalating since the Houthis announced in July - in response to what they described as "retaliation for the Saudi siege of the Yemeni capital" - that they would target Saudi shipping traffic in the Red Sea as well as infrastructure within the kingdom.

The Saudi Civil Defense announced that fragments of Houthi ballistic missiles had fallen in Mecca and Medina, while the group announced the targeting of oil facilities and airports. This coincided with an American decision to withdraw non-essential employees from Saudi Arabia amid escalating regional tensions.

The Ansar Allah group claimed responsibility for an attack on a camp and a naval base in Aden, while the Saudi-led coalition announced the interception of three ballistic missiles and a drone targeting Riyadh, Taif and Yanbu, amid escalating military and diplomatic tensions in the region.

The Libyan House of Representatives in Benghazi unanimously approved the 2019 maritime memorandum of understanding with Türkiye, in a radical shift from its previous position. The decision sparked condemnations from Greece, Egypt and Israel, amid fears of escalating competition over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey proposed an agreement to demarcate the maritime borders with Egypt, while Cairo renewed its categorical rejection of the memorandum of understanding between Ankara and Tripoli, describing it as legally invalid, in conjunction with the conclusion of the activities of the 'Egypt Forum 2026', which reviewed the government's achievements and challenges.

The head of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, stressed his keenness to address Egyptian concerns regarding the maritime borders, in conjunction with Pakistan’s opening of a consulate-general in Benghazi to enhance cooperation with the leadership of the Libyan National Army.

Tropical Storm "Champi" approached the Chinese coast after crossing Taiwan and Japan, killing one person, injuring hundreds, and canceling flights. Authorities in Shanghai evacuate residents, while the El Niño phenomenon continues to intensify storms in the Pacific Ocean.