Saudi Arabia has privately launched several strikes on Iran in response to attacks on its territory.
Reuters reports this, citing two Western and two Iranian officials.
According to the agencyʼs sources, the Saudi Arabian Air Force likely struck Iran in late March. It is unknown exactly what targets were targeted.
The Saudi strikes are being described as the first known instance of the kingdom directly taking military action on Iranian territory, indicating that Riyadh has become “bolder” in its defense against its main regional rival, Reuters reports.
The Saudi side did not officially confirm the attacks on Iran, and the Iranian Foreign Ministry did not respond to journalistsʼ inquiries.
On May 11, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the United Arab Emirates had also been carrying out covert strikes on Iran in early April, around the time US President Donald Trump was announcing a ceasefire.
The strikes, which the UAE has not yet officially acknowledged, included an attack on an oil refinery on Iranʼs Laban Island in the Persian Gulf. The strike caused a major fire and knocked out most of the plantʼs capacity for several months.
Iran then claimed that the refinery had come under “hostile attack” and responded by launching a massive missile and drone strike on the UAE and Kuwait. The US was not concerned by this attack, as the ceasefire had not yet been fully established, and Washington had tacitly welcomed the participation of the UAE and any other Gulf states that wished to join the war against Iran.
War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.
Iran, in response to the attacks by the US and Israel, began shelling Arab countries and Israel. The main blow from Iran fell precisely on the UAE — Tehran launched more than 2 800 missiles and drones at the country — much more than at any other state, including Israel, writes WSJ.
The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels a day.
On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.
On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz. However, the very next day, Iran again blocked the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.
On April 21, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had extended the truce with Iran until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded discussions. And on May 1, Axios wrote, citing a letter from Trump to House Speaker Mike Johnson, that Trump considered the war over.
Despite this, on May 8, Iran accused the US of violating the ceasefire by attacking two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and striking civilian areas. But there is no talk of a breakdown yet.
As early as May 11, Iran, through intermediaries in Pakistan, delivered a multi-page response to the latest US proposal to end the war, setting out its own terms. Trump called it “unacceptable”.
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