Saudi Arabia struck Iran in late March over attacks — Iran #usa News
Saudi Arabia launched numerous unpublicized strikes on Iran in late March, retaliating for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the Middle East war, according to two Western officials and two Iranian officials. The operation was the first time the kingdom is known to have directly carried out military action on Iranian soil, marking a sharp turn in a 10-week conflict that had already spread across Gulf states. iran #usa news
One Western official described the Saudi attacks as tit-for-tat strikes in retaliation for when Saudi (Arabia) was hit.
The Saudi Air Force’s actions came after the war began on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran.
Iranian and Saudi channels
The Iranian and Western officials said Saudi Arabia made Iran aware of the strikes. They said that was followed by intensive diplomatic engagement and Saudi threats to retaliate further, which pushed the two countries toward an understanding to de-escalate.
Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, said the reported Saudi strikes would show pragmatic recognition on both sides that uncontrolled escalation carries unacceptable costs.
Vaez also said the two sides showed not trust, but a shared interest in imposing limits on confrontation before it spiraled into a wider regional conflict.
Saudi foreign ministry response
A senior Saudi foreign ministry official did not directly address whether strikes had been carried out, 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.
The Iranian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The reported Saudi strikes also fit a wider pattern of regional spillover. Since the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran has hit all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones, attacked U.S. military bases, civilian sites, airports and oil infrastructure, and closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade. The United Arab Emirates was also reported to have carried out military strikes on Iran on Monday.
Gulf conflict after March strikes
The Saudi operation matters because it adds a direct, state-to-state military response inside Iran to a conflict that had already moved beyond its first front. was unable to confirm the specific targets, leaving the known outcome limited to the fact of the strikes, the later de-escalation understanding, and the widening regional pressure that followed.
