Nigeria, March 2 -- Saudi Arabia has temporarily halted operations at its largest oil refinery following a drone strike near the facility, an incident that has heightened tensions in the Gulf and rattled global energy markets.

The state-owned oil giant, Aramco, confirmed that production at its 550,000-barrel-per-day Ras Tanura refinery was suspended on Monday as a precautionary measure while authorities assess potential damage, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

The refinery, located along the Persian Gulf coast, plays a strategic role in the Kingdom's downstream operations and global energy supply chains.

According to a statement issued by the Saudi Energy Ministry, the two drones targeting the Ras Tanura complex were intercepted, Al Jaze...