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Saudi air defences intercept drones amid Houthi tanker claims
Saudi Arabia said several drones targeted petroleum facilities in its eastern region, while the Houthis said they forced a Saudi tanker to turn back as part of a shipping blockade.
Saudi Arabia said it shot down drones launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second straight day, as tensions continued after weeks of escalation in the region around the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported. The Saudi Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted and destroyed several drones attempting to target petroleum facilities in the kingdom’s eastern region, and it blamed attacks on Iran-affiliated terrorist militias based in Iraqi territory.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after Saudi allegations of a similar attack on Monday. The Iraqi military said Iraq is committed to preventing its territory from being used as a route or launching point for attacks targeting friendly countries, while Iraqi militias denied involvement and the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq called the Saudi claims “fabrications.”
Separately, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they fired missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, forcing it to turn around, according to the report. The Houthi claims came as they announced a blockade of Saudi shipping last week, raising risks for another key Middle Eastern waterway through the Bab el-Mandeb strait leading to the Red Sea.