Saudi Arabia Secretly Struck Iran in Late March After 105 Weekly Attacks
Updated
Updated · WION · May 12
Saudi Arabia Secretly Struck Iran in Late March After 105 Weekly Attacks
8 articles · Updated · WION · May 12
Late-March Saudi airstrikes hit Iranian territory in what officials described as retaliatory, previously undisclosed attacks—the first known direct Saudi military action against Iran.
Repeated Iranian missile and drone strikes on the kingdom drove the response after a 10-week regional war exposed gaps in the U.S. security umbrella protecting Saudi Arabia.
Saudi and Iranian officials did not confirm the strikes publicly, but officials said Riyadh warned Tehran in advance and followed with intense diplomacy that helped produce an informal de-escalation understanding.
Attacks on Saudi Arabia then fell sharply, with some projectiles before the April 7 broader ceasefire believed to have come from Iraq rather than directly from Iran.
The episode signals a more assertive Saudi posture toward Tehran even as Riyadh kept diplomatic channels open and sought to avoid a wider regional war.
Did Saudi Arabia's direct strikes forge a new path to peace or just a temporary pause in a wider war?
With U.S. influence waning, can a new four-nation security pact truly stabilize the volatile Middle East?
As the world's worst energy crisis deepens, can global markets survive a prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure?
Gulf Under Fire: Saudi Arabia’s Defensive Restraint and Economic Fallout Amid 2026 US-Israel-Iran War
Overview
In March 2026, after an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, Iran escalated the conflict by launching massive missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, targeting energy sites and key infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and neighboring states. These attacks followed earlier US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, leading to a regional crisis that disrupted global energy supplies and strained Gulf air defenses. Despite absorbing heavy attacks, Saudi Arabia chose not to retaliate, focusing on defense and new partnerships. This restraint contributed to a gradual de-escalation, highlighting the shifting security strategies and economic vulnerabilities of Gulf states.