Saudi Arabia has intercepted drones targeting its oil facilities and capital, attributing the attacks to Iran-backed groups in Iraq. The kingdom has stated its right to respond to these provocations.
The incidents coincide with a pause in US-Iran hostilities and suggest Tehran may be testing Washington’s new strategy. Similar drone attacks were reported in Jordan and Iraq, highlighting regional instability.
Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting drones that targeted oil facilities in its eastern province and Riyadh.
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Saudi’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it “reserves the right to respond” to the attack, which it attributed to Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq.
Separately, Yemen’s Houthi rebels said in a statement that they had targeted Saudi crude oil transport infrastructure.
Background: US halts airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.
It remains unclear whether the two incidents were coordinated or separate.
The attack comes amid a lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, with mediators suggesting the chances of a return to negotiations have risen.
Following two weeks of intense hostilities, US officials have spoken of a change in strategy, and Washington has paused strikes on Iran.
Iran has said it has also paused its attacks on US allies across the Gulf region.
However, the drone attacks on Saudi and elsewhere suggest that Tehran may be testing the new US stance, and that the armed groups believed to be linked to Iran are not ready to follow suit.
Aside from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq also reported drone attacks on Monday. Amman said it shot down two drones, while Iraqi security sources reported strikes on camps housing Iranian-Kurdish opposition fighters in the country’s north.
The officials did not identify the source of either attack, but Jordan and northern Iraq were locations in which four US service members were killed over the past fortnight of conflict.
The Houthis announced later on Monday that nine of its fighters had been killed amid escalating military confrontations with Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition in recent days.
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