Saudi Arabia launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian territory in late March 2026 in retaliation for missile and drone attacks on its own soil during the Middle East conflict.
According to Reuters, citing Western and Iranian officials, this marks the first known time Riyadh has directly struck Iran.
The conflict escalated after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to launch missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries.
Targets in Saudi Arabia included military bases, oil infrastructure, and civilian facilities.
Reuters reports that diplomatic contacts between the parties accompanied the Saudi strikes.
After Riyadh threatened to intensify its attacks, the number of Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia dropped significantly.
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According to the agency’s calculations, between March 25 and 31, Saudi Arabia experienced over 105 drone and missile attacks. By early April, this number had dropped to around 25 strikes.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates also carried out strikes on Iran. One such operation hit an oil refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.
The explosions caused a massive fire and forced the shutdown of facilities for several months.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to directly comment on the strikes but referred to its previous statements. The ministry emphasized the country’s right to respond to hostile acts with military measures to protect its security.
In addition to military measures, the Emirates restricted Iran’s financial interests in Dubai and imposed strict visa restrictions on its citizens.
