Saudi Arabia and Jordan said on Monday their air defences had intercepted and destroyed drones targeting their territory, underscoring the continued regional threat despite a temporary pause in hostilities between Iran and the US.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence said several drones targeting oil facilities in the Eastern Province and the capital Riyadh were intercepted and destroyed before reaching their targets.
Military spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said the drones came from Iraqi territory and accused Iran-backed militias of carrying out the attacks.
He described the attempted strikes as “terrorist” attacks targeting Saudi energy infrastructure and said the kingdom reserves the right to defend itself and respond “at the appropriate time and place”.
No casualties or damage were reported, and Saudi authorities did not disclose the number of drones intercepted. Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi subsequently ordered an investigation.
The Iraqi government is "examining the available evidence" and will take legal action against anyone found to have been involved, said military spokesman Sabah Al Numan.
Separately, after Saudi Arabia's announcement, Yemen's Houthi rebels said “a number of targets and sensitive points for the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu [in the west] were targeted by a number of drones".
The Iran-aligned group's spokesman Yahya Saree said the attacks came "in response to the Saudi enemy’s drones breaching Yemeni airspace”.
Last week, the Houthi rebels claimed attacks on Aramco facilities in the Saudi cities of Jizan and Yanbu after announcing a blockade on Saudi shipping that risks worsening the economic fallout of the war.
In Jordan, the armed forces said the Royal Jordanian Air Force shot down two drones targeting the kingdom. “The interception and downing operation resulted in no casualties or material damage,” a military source told Petra news agency.
Jordanian authorities did not identify the source of the drones. The incidents occurred as Iran and the US refrained from attacking each other for a third consecutive night.
Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, said President Donald Trump was giving diplomacy “some space”, while a White House spokesman said Washington still retained military options if Iran resumed attacks on shipping or regional allies.
Iran's military said it has suspended retaliatory operations on US forces and bases in the region after Washington's decision to pause strikes.
In the two weeks before the pause began on Friday, Iran claimed responsibility for attacks on US military assets in several Middle East countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Jordan also announced tests of its national emergency mobile alert system across a number of governorates as part of efforts to strengthen its preparedness for crisis.
Iran said on Sunday intermediaries continued to relay messages from the US regarding regional developments, but stressed that there were no direct or indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, dismissed reports that Iran had requested talks with the US in Pakistan or Qatar, describing such claims as a recurring “news-making tactic” by opposing parties.
“Such a thing is not in line with our approach at all,” Mr Baghaei said during a weekly press briefing.
He reiterated that Iran viewed diplomacy as a tool to protect its national interests and had never rejected diplomatic engagement in principle. However, he said Tehran would not take steps that could be misinterpreted while the US continued what he described as hostile actions against Iran.
“Our focus is on defence when the other side is engaged in acts of harassment and aggression against Iran,” he said. “Yes, the mediators may convey messages from the American side to us about the current developments in the region.” He added that Iran was not currently engaged in any negotiations with the US.
The US has justified its most recent rounds of strikes as a defence of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran sought to assert control over the sea lane.
Sources told The National last week that mediators were trying to convince the US and Iran to clarify “ambiguous language” in June's interim peace deal. The text called for Iran to “make arrangements using its best efforts” for the safe passage of commercial vessels.
Iran now says the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and that recent talks with Oman on shipping arrangements have not altered that situation. Mr Baghaei said Iranian and Omani officials held talks on Friday and Saturday that focused on maritime traffic management in the strategic waterway. “There were useful discussions on how to manage shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr Baghaei said.
He stressed, however, that the talks should not be interpreted as part of any negotiations involving Washington. “The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has not changed and it remains closed, and these talks have nothing to do with the US,” he said.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported on Monday that six ships were prevented from transiting the Strait of Hormuz after allegedly attempting to use an unauthorised route in the waterway.
Citing an unnamed Iranian official, Fars said the vessels had switched off their navigation and positioning systems and were attempting to pass through what Tehran described as an “illegal and unsafe” route south of the strait, allegedly at the encouragement of the US military.
The official said the ships were returned to the Gulf under the “management of Iran”, while one of the vessels suffered an accident during the incident.
