RIYADH: Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicised strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the Middle East war, two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said.
The Saudi attacks, not previously reported, mark the first time that the kingdom is known to have directly carried out military action on Iranian soil and show it is becoming much bolder in defending itself against its main regional rival.
The attacks, launched by the Saudi Air Force, were assessed to have been carried out in late March, the two Western officials said.
One said only that they were “tit-for-tat strikes in retaliation for when Saudi (Arabia) was hit”.
Reuters was unable to confirm what the specific targets were.
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.
Saudi Arabia, which has a deep military relationship with the United States, has traditionally relied on the US military for protection, but the 10-week war has left the kingdom vulnerable to attacks that have pierced the US military umbrella.
GULF ARAB STATES BEGAN HITTING BACK
The Saudi strikes underscore the widening of the conflict – and the extent to which a war that began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb 28 has drawn in the broader Middle East in ways that have not been publicly acknowledged.
Since the US and Israeli strikes, Iran has hit all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones, attacking not only US military bases but civilian sites, airports and oil infrastructure, and closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade.
The United Arab Emirates also carried out military strikes on Iran early last month, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday (May 12), revealing previously unknown participation in the war by the Gulf country.
The American newspaper said the UAE’s attacks targeted a refinery located on Iran’s Lavan Island and took place “around the time” US President Donald Trump was “announcing a ceasefire in the war” after a five-week air strike campaign.
The US has quietly welcomed the Emirati strikes and any other Gulf states that want to join the fight, the paper reported, citing one unnamed source.