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
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a cooperation agreement between the two countries' defense ministries on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group continues its missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
Turkey's parliament is set on Wednesday to ratify a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that includes a collective defence clause, committing NATO's second-largest army to Riyadh's defence as it faces attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
Iran and the United States are still far from a deal to end their war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump declined to rule out a resumption of US combat operations after the elections in the United States.
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