Saudi Arabia issued a sharp condemnation of Iran Saturday, denouncing what it called a "brutal aggression" against its Gulf neighbors, as the region descended into unprecedented chaos following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
The Iranian retaliation, spanning multiple Gulf states simultaneously, signals a dramatic and dangerous escalation © Mena Today
Saudi Arabia issued a sharp condemnation of Iran Saturday, denouncing what it called a "brutal aggression" against its Gulf neighbors, as the region descended into unprecedented chaos following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
In an official statement published by the Saudi state press agency, the kingdom declared it "firmly condemns and denounces with the utmost vigor Iran's brutal aggression and flagrant violation of the sovereignty" of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan, all struck by Iranian missile and drone fire in what appeared to be a sweeping retaliatory campaign across the Middle East.
Yet the statement contained a striking omission. Saudi Arabia made no mention of any strikes on its own territory.
The Iranian retaliation, spanning multiple Gulf states simultaneously, signals a dramatic and dangerous escalation. Tehran appears to have activated a broad retaliatory strategy, targeting US-aligned Arab states across the region in response to the Israeli-American offensive.
For the Gulf monarchies, long accustomed to proxy tensions, the war has now arrived on their doorstep.
This is a developing story. Follow Mena Today for live updates.
By Nat Hilbrown
Several Gulf Arab states said they were targeted by Iranian missiles on Saturday after Tehran pledged to retaliate against strikes by the United States and Israel, bringing conflict to a part of the Arab world that prides itself on relative safety.
Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation.
The diplomatic phones are ringing off the hook. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are working urgently to halt the rapidly escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as Islamabad declared "open war" on the Taliban authorities following a cross-border Afghan offensive.
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