Saudi Arabia Carried Out Covert Attacks on Iran
Photo: Reuters.
During the war in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia secretly carried out attacks on Iran, alongside the United States and Israel, according to a report by Reuters, citing two Western officials and two Iranian officials.
This is the first time information has emerged about Saudi Arabia conducting military operations on the territory of its main regional rival, Iran.
According to Reuters, citing two Western officials, the Saudi Air Force strikes are believed to have taken place in late March. However, the media outlet could not confirm the specific targets of the attacks.
When asked for comment, a senior official at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not directly confirm whether the attacks had taken place. Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.
Saudi Arabia has deep military ties with the United States and has traditionally relied on the U.S. military for its security. However, the 10-week-long war showed that even the United States was unable to fully shield the country from the fallout.
Since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, Iran has carried out attacks across all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Tehran targeted U.S. military bases, oil and gas installations, airports, and other sites in those countries.
Saudi Arabia carried out its attacks in response. Earlier on Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the United Arab Emirates had also launched military strikes against Iran.
However, the approaches of the two countries during the war were not identical. Saudi Arabia focused on preventing the conflict from spreading further and maintained regular communication with Iran. Riyadh was also engaged in intensive diplomatic discussions and warned Tehran of the possibility of further retaliatory strikes.
Iranian and Western officials said that Saudi Arabia had warned Iran ahead of the attacks. These warnings, combined with close diplomatic engagement, appear to have been effective, leading to a degree of understanding between the two sides and a reduction in tensions.
