Rania AbushamalaMonday May 18, 2026
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday evening that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed three drones after they crossed into the kingdom’s airspace from Iraq.
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Defense Ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the drones were downed on Sunday morning after entering Saudi airspace from Iraqi territory.
Maliki stressed that the kingdom “reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place.”
Saudi Arabia “will take and implement all necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to violate the kingdom’s sovereignty, security and the safety of its citizens and residents,” he said.
Regional tensions have risen since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran responded with attacks targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to yield a lasting deal. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.
