Further Iranian attacks would represent an escalation that would have an adverse impact on Iran–Saudi relations, the Saudi government warns.
Saudi Arabia issued a fresh warning to Iran on Monday following an Iranian attack that killed two Bangladeshi nationals in the kingdom.
The Saudi government is condemning the recent “Iranian attacks against the Kingdom and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as a number of Arab, Islamic, and friendly countries, which cannot be accepted or justified under any circumstances,” according to a Monday statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.
“The Kingdom affirms that it retains its full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its security, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens and residents, and to deter aggression.”
Further Iranian attacks would represent an escalation that would have an adverse impact on Iran–Saudi relations, the ministry said.
“Iran would be the greatest loser,” it warned, concluding its statement.
The statement comes as the Saudi defense ministry announced early Monday that it had intercepted drones in the northern Jawf region and at the vast Shaybah oil field. Late Sunday, an attack in the central city of Kharj killed the two Bangladeshi nationals and wounded 12 others. All but one were from Bangladesh.
Nearby Qatari defense ministry said Monday it intercepted all 17 missiles and six drones launched from Iran toward the Gulf nation on Monday. There were no casualties or damage, the ministry said.
Starting on Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched an aerial war campaign against Iran and killed a number of its leaders, including former top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named as his successor by the Iranian regime over the weekend.
In response to the U.S.–Israel airstrikes, Iran has fired missiles and drones at neighboring countries, including Israel and U.S. trading partners in the region such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Iran also fired drones or missiles toward the territories of Azerbaijan and Turkey last week, with Azerbaijani officials warning that it may respond to Iran if it doesn’t investigate.
At the same time, the U.S. State Department on Sunday ordered its non-emergency embassy staff to depart Saudi Arabia due to safety issues, citing heightened risks from terrorism, armed conflict, and drone or missile attacks from Iran and Yemen. It’s the first time that the U.S. government has ordered a departure order for Saudi Arabia since the conflict began.
