Saudi Arabia launched a series of covert retaliatory strikes on Iranian territory in late March after facing missile and drone attacks during the wider Middle East conflict, news agency Reuters reported, citing two Western officials and two Iranian officials.
The strikes, reportedly carried out by the Saudi Air Force, mark the first known instance of Riyadh directly targeting Iran militarily. Reuters said it could not independently verify the targets hit in the operation.
The reported attacks came amid the regional fallout of the conflict that began after the on February 28. Since then, Iran has targeted Gulf states with missiles and drones, hitting military installations, airports, civilian infrastructure and oil facilities, while also disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report, Saudi Arabia informed Tehran about the strikes through diplomatic channels and warned of further retaliation if attacks continued. This was followed by intensive backchannel engagement between the two countries, eventually leading to an informal understanding to de-escalate tensions.
Saudi officials did not directly confirm the strikes. However, a senior Saudi foreign ministry official reiterated Riyadh’s position favouring “de-escalation, self-restraint and the reduction of tensions” to ensure regional stability.
The report also said the United Arab Emirates carried out separate military strikes on Iran, signalling that Gulf monarchies had begun responding more aggressively after coming under repeated attacks.
While the UAE reportedly adopted a more hawkish approach, Saudi Arabia continued diplomatic engagement with Tehran even as tensions escalated. Iran and Saudi Arabia, long-time regional rivals backing opposing sides in conflicts across the Middle East, restored diplomatic ties in 2023 under a China-brokered agreement.
Reuters reported that Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia declined sharply after the late-March escalation. A tally of Saudi defence ministry statements showed more than 105 drone and missile attacks between March 25 and 31, dropping to just over 25 in the following week.
However, tensions persisted. Saudi Arabia later accused Iraq-based groups of launching projectiles at the kingdom, summoning Baghdad’s ambassador in protest.
