Saudi Arabia secretly launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iran during regional war: Report

Saudi Arabia secretly launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iran earlier this year after Iranian missile and drone attacks targeted the kingdom during the broader regional conflict involving the US, Israel and Tehran, according to a Reuters report citing Western and Iranian officials.

The report said the previously undisclosed strikes were carried out by the Saudi Air Force in late March and marked the first known instance of Saudi Arabia directly conducting military action on Iranian soil.

Two Western officials and two Iranian officials told Reuters that the Saudi strikes were launched as “tit-for-tat” retaliation after Iran targeted Saudi territory with missiles and drones during the 10-week regional war. Reuters said it could not independently verify the specific Iranian targets hit by Saudi forces.

The conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region.

According to reports, Iran targeted all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries with missiles and drones, hitting military sites, airports and oil infrastructure while also disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia was among the countries affected by the attacks. Reports documented drone and missile strikes targeting locations including Riyadh, Prince Sultan Air Base and Saudi Aramco facilities in Ras Tanura and Yanbu.

The Reuters report stated that after the Saudi strikes, Riyadh and Tehran entered into intensive diplomatic engagement aimed at preventing further escalation. Iranian and Western officials reportedly said Saudi Arabia informed Iran about the retaliatory strikes, after which both sides reached an informal understanding to de-escalate tensions.

A senior Saudi foreign ministry official did not directly confirm the strikes but reiterated Riyadh’s position supporting “de-escalation, self-restraint and the reduction of tensions” in the region, according to Reuters.

The revelations suggest Gulf states became more directly involved in the regional conflict than previously acknowledged publicly. Separate reports have also claimed that the United Arab Emirates carried out covert strikes on Iranian targets during the conflict.

Analysts quoted in the Reuters report said the developments reflected growing concern among Gulf monarchies over the scale of Iranian attacks and the limits of existing US security protections in the region.

It further noted that tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran had eased in recent years following a China-brokered diplomatic rapprochement in 2023, which restored ties between the two regional rivals after years of hostility.