Saudi Arabia Conducts First Airstrikes in Iran

Saudi Arabia conducted covert airstrikes inside Iran in late March, marking the first known direct military operations by the kingdom on Iranian soil, according to Western and Iranian officials familiar with the matter.

The strikes by the Saudi Air Force came amid a broader Middle East conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. In retaliation, Iran targeted all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones, striking civilian sites, airports, oil infrastructure and U.S. military bases. Iran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade. Saudi Arabia alone faced more than 105 such attacks during the week of March 25 to 31, according to statements from its defense ministry.

One official described the Saudi actions as tit-for-tat measures responding to those Iranian assaults, which exposed vulnerabilities in the kingdom's defenses despite its close military ties with the United States. Saudi Arabia informed Iran of the operations afterward, prompting intensive diplomatic contacts and threats of further retaliation. This led to an informal understanding between Riyadh and Tehran to de-escalate, taking...