Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that its air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory. According to a statement from the Saudi defense ministry, the drones were neutralized over the past several hours before they could reach their intended targets, which included oil facilities located in the kingdom's Eastern Province and the Riyadh region.
The ministry attributed the attempted strikes to "Iran-backed terrorist militias" operating out of Iraq. In response to the incident, the Saudi foreign ministry issued a strong condemnation, emphasizing the kingdom's determination to protect its sovereignty and secure its critical infrastructure. Officials stated that Saudi Arabia reserves the legitimate right to defend its territory and will respond to the sources of these attacks at an appropriate time and place. Furthermore, the kingdom has called upon the Iraqi government to implement necessary measures to ensure that its territory is not utilized as a launching point for further aggression.
As of Monday, there has been no official comment from the Iraqi government regarding the Saudi statement. This event occurs amidst a period of heightened regional volatility, despite a recent lull in direct military exchanges between the United States and Iran. An Iranian military spokesperson noted on Sunday that Tehran had halted military operations following a two-day pause in US strikes against Iran. Reports indicate that US President Donald Trump had ordered a suspension of further military actions against Iran after nearly two weeks of ongoing daily attacks, which saw Washington targeting various sites and Tehran responding against US military facilities and equipment across the region.
