Kamal Ghorui
Saudi Arabia carried out a series of unpublicised airstrikes on Iran in late March in retaliation for attacks inside the kingdom during the Middle East conflict, according to sources cited by Reuters.The strikes marked the first known case of Saudi Arabia directly conducting military action on Iranian soil, underscoring a major shift in the kingdom’s approach toward its main regional rival.The conflict began after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28. In the weeks that followed, Iran targeted all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones, striking US military bases, civilian sites, airports and oil infrastructure, while also closing the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting global trade.Saudi Arabia, despite its close military relationship with the US, found itself vulnerable as attacks pierced the US security umbrella during the 10-week war.The Saudi Air Force strikes were carried out as “tit-for-tat strikes in retaliation for when Saudi (Arabia) was hit,” one Western official said.The strikes reflected the widening scope of the conflict across the Middle East and revealed a regional confrontation that had largely remained out of public view. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the United Arab Emirates had also carried out military strikes on Iran.Together, the Saudi and Emirati actions showed Gulf monarchies responding militarily after coming under Iranian attack. However, their approaches differed.The UAE adopted a more hawkish position, seeking to impose costs on Iran and engaging only rarely in public diplomacy with Tehran. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, sought to contain the conflict and remained in regular contact with Iranian officials, including through Tehran’s ambassador in Riyadh, who did not respond to a request for comment.According to the Iranian and Western officials, Saudi Arabia informed Iran about the strikes, leading to intensive diplomatic engagement and Saudi warnings of further retaliation. The exchanges eventually produced an understanding between the two countries to de-escalate.Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, said retaliatory Saudi strikes followed by de-escalation would “show pragmatic recognition on both sides that uncontrolled escalation carries unacceptable costs.”Such a sequence would reflect “not trust, but a shared interest in imposing limits on confrontation before it spiraled into a wider regional conflict,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.The informal de-escalation took effect in the week before Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in their broader conflict on April 7. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.At a press conference in Riyadh on March 19, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the kingdom “reserved the right to take military actions if deemed necessary.”Three days later, Saudi Arabia declared Iran’s military attaché and four embassy staff members personae non gratae.A senior Saudi foreign ministry official did not directly address whether a de-escalation understanding had been reached with Iran, but said, “We reaffirm Saudi Arabia’s consistent position advocating de-escalation, self-restraint and the reduction of tensions in pursuit of the stability, security and prosperity of the region and its people.”According to reports, more than 105 drone and missile attacks targeted Saudi Arabia during the week of March 25-31. Between April 1-6, the number dropped to just over 25.
