Saudi Defenses Intercept Ballistic Missiles and Drones amid Regional Escalation

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on Sunday that the capital region was targeted by a wave of ballistic missiles and drones, marking a sharp intensification of the ongoing regional conflict. 

The strikes come as the Kingdom and its Gulf neighbors continue to face retaliatory fire following the outbreak of hostilities between US-Israeli forces and Iran late last month.

According to an official statement released on social media, Saudi defense systems detected three ballistic missiles tracking toward the Riyadh area early Sunday morning. 

Military spokespersons confirmed that one missile was successfully intercepted, while the remaining two landed in uninhabited zones, resulting in no reported casualties or significant structural damage.

The Ministry further disclosed that Saudi forces have been on high alert since midnight, successfully neutralizing five drones during the same period. 

The activity triggered a brief but urgent alarm from the Saudi Civil Defense; however, the warning was rescinded seven minutes later once the immediate threat was deemed to have passed.

These latest attacks are part of a broader pattern of Iranian-linked retaliation following the US-Israeli strikes on February 28. 

Tehran has repeatedly accused Gulf nations of facilitating those strikes, leading to a series of missile and drone launches targeting both urban centers and critical energy infrastructure across the peninsula.

The persistent targeting of oil-rich Gulf nations has sent shockwaves through international markets. 

With several energy facilities previously hit during the month-long war, global analysts warn that continued instability in the Riyadh and Persian Gulf regions could trigger a severe global energy supply shock, further destabilizing an already fragile world economy.

Source: AFP