Beirut: Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that its air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory, which were aimed at oil facilities within the kingdom.

According to Anadolu Agency, the country's Defense Ministry revealed that the drones were neutralized over the past several hours before they could reach critical petroleum facilities located in the Eastern Province and the Riyadh region. The ministry identified the origin of these attempted attacks as Iraqi territory and attributed them to 'Iran-backed terrorist militias.'

The Defense Ministry emphasized Saudi Arabia's right to defend its territory and critical infrastructure, asserting its authority to respond at an appropriate time and place. In line with this, the Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the attempted strikes and reiterated the kingdom's resolve to protect its security and sovereignty. The ministry urged the Iraqi government to prevent its land from being used as a base for attacks against Saudi Arabia.

Despite the severity of the situation, there has been no official response from Iraq regarding the Saudi statement. This incident occurs amidst a temporary reduction in direct military exchanges between the US and Iran. Recently, an Iranian military spokesperson announced that Tehran had halted military operations following a cessation of US attacks against Iran over the past two days.

According to Axios, US President Donald Trump recently instructed the military to pause further strikes on Iran after a period of nearly two weeks characterized by daily confrontations. The ongoing tension between the US and Iran has escalated, with Washington initiating attacks on Iran and Tehran retaliating by targeting what it identified as US military installations and assets throughout the region.