Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicized airstrikes on Iran in late March in retaliation for attacks on the kingdom during the Middle East war, according to Western and Iranian officials.
Officials describe late-March strikes
Two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iranian soil. The Saudi attacks have not previously been reported, and the officials said the strikes were conducted by the Saudi Air Force and assessed to have taken place in late March.
One Western official described the action as “tit-for-tat strikes in retaliation for when Saudi (Arabia) was hit.”
Targets not confirmed; limited official response
Reuters was unable to confirm the specific targets struck in Iran.
In response to a request for comment, a senior Saudi foreign ministry official did not directly address whether strikes had been carried out. The Iranian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Conflict widens after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran
Saudi Arabia has a deep military relationship with the United States and has traditionally relied on U.S. military protection, but the 10-week war has left the kingdom vulnerable to attacks that pierced the U.S. military umbrella.
The reported Saudi strikes underscore the widening of a conflict that began when the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28 and has since drawn in the broader Middle East in ways not publicly acknowledged, according to the officials.
Iran attacks GCC states; UAE strikes also reported
Since the U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran has hit all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones, including attacks on U.S. military bases as well as civilian sites, airports and oil infrastructure, and it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the United Arab Emirates also carried out military strikes on Iran. Together, the reported Saudi and Emirati actions indicate that Gulf monarchies targeted by Iranian attacks began responding with strikes, the officials said.
What impact do you think these reported strikes could have on the wider regional conflict?