Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed multiple drones targeting oil infrastructure in the Eastern Province and Riyadh, the defence ministry said, blaming Iran-backed militias that launched the aircraft from Iraqi territory. Riyadh condemned the strikes and urged Baghdad to prevent its soil from being used as a launchpad for future attacks.
The drone interceptions followed the collapse on 13 July of a truce that had held since April 2022 between the Houthi rebels and Riyadh. The Houthis, who last week declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, claimed drone strikes on oil-transport infrastructure stretching from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu, following Saturday's raids on Saudi Aramco installations.
The escalation comes after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a suspension of further strikes on Iran following nearly two weeks of attacks.