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Saudi Arabia launched multiple, covert strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the Middle East war, Reuters reports.
Citing two Western officials and two Iranian officials, Reuters reported that the attacks were launched by the Saudi air force and were assessed to have been carried out in late March.
The attacks had not been previously reported as Saudi Arabia, a United States ally, had publicly distanced itself from the conflict.
This marks the first time that the kingdom is known to have directly carried out military action on Iranian soil. It is unclear what the targets were.
A separate Telegraph report noted that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also launched attacks against Iran.
The UAE’s strikes took place “around the time” that US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in the war, after a five-week military campaign against Tehran.
Until these reports emerged, Iran had publicly claimed responsibility for hitting all six Gulf Cooperation Council states with missiles and drones.
The Islamic Republic said its targets were US military bases, but civilian sites, airports and oil infrastructure were also hit, while the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed, disrupting global trade.
Abu Dhabi said it maintained the right to respond to hostile attacks in a defensive manner but denied any active interventions against Tehran throughout the conflict.
However, the UAE’s armed forces, which are equipped with American helicopters and fighter jets, reportedly attacked an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Gulf at the start of April, according to the Wall Street Journal.
While the UAE took a more hawkish stance, seeking to extract a cost from Iran, Iranian and Western officials said Saudi Arabia alerted Tehran of its strikes.
The alert was followed by intensive diplomatic engagement and Saudi threats to retaliate further, which led to an understanding between the two countries to de-escalate the conflict.
From more than 105 drone and missile attacks from Iran on Saudi Arabia in the week of March 25-31, the number fell to just over 25 between April 1-6, according to a Reuters tally of Saudi defence ministry statements.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been at odds with both nations backing opposing groups in conflicts across the region.
Both countries reportedly de-escalated tensions in the week before Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire on April 7.
