The claim that the Sunni Saudis have targeted Shia land

Saudi Arabia has carried out covert military strikes against Iran in response to attacks by Tehran on the Kingdom’s territory as the war in the Middle East has spread.

According to Reuters, these are the first known direct military actions by Saudi Arabia on Iranian soil, representing a significant shift in Riyadh’s policy towards its main regional rival.

The Saudi strikes, carried out by the Saudi Air Force in late March, have not been publicly announced before. Two Western officials said the strikes were in response to previous Iranian attacks on Saudi territory, but Reuters could not confirm which targets were hit.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry did not directly confirm the attack, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The conflict escalated after the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28. Since then, Iran has targeted all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones, including military bases, airports and oil infrastructure.

Reuters also reported that the United Arab Emirates carried out military strikes on Iran, citing an earlier report by the Wall Street Journal.

The Saudi strikes followed heightened diplomatic contacts between Riyadh and Tehran, with sources claiming Saudi Arabia warned Iran of the possibility of further attacks if the attacks continued.

According to an Iranian official, the two sides later reached an informal agreement to ease tensions in order to “end hostilities and protect common interests”.

Reuters recalls that Iran and Saudi Arabia have been regional rivals for years, supporting opposing sides in conflicts across the Middle East, but that in 2023 they restored relations. diplomatic with the mediation of China. /square

Source: prizrenpost