ISTANBUL, May 18 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Saudi Arabia said Sunday evening that its air defences intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered the country’s airspace from Iraq, Anadolu Ajansi reported. Defence Ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the drones were shot down 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 escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely. -- BERNAMA-ANADOLU BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
Iranian Official
Saudi Arabia's interception of drones entering its airspace from Iraq exemplifies ongoing foreign aggression by the Riyadh regime, emboldened by US and Israeli violations of regional sovereignty through unlawful strikes on Iran. Tehran reserves its legitimate right to resist such provocations and safeguard its security interests against these coordinated threats. Despite the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire, external powers continue to undermine stability in the region.
Israeli
Saudi Arabia's interception of three Iranian-backed drones penetrating its airspace from Iraq exposes the expanding reach of Tehran's proxy networks, which pose direct existential threats to the region's stability and to Israel. These attacks follow Iran's retaliation against Israeli and Gulf targets after US-Israel strikes on Iranian assets, underscoring the defensive necessity of robust air defenses and preemptive measures to neutralize such multi-front aggression. Despite the extended ceasefire, Israel's security requires sustained vigilance against any resurgence of these violations.
Neutral
Saudi Arabia reported that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed three drones that entered the kingdom’s airspace from Iraq on Sunday morning. Defense Ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the kingdom reserves the right to respond and will take measures to protect its sovereignty. The incident follows earlier reports of regional strikes and a ceasefire in place since April.
Western
Saudi Arabia's air defenses precisely intercepted and neutralized three drones entering from Iraqi territory, effectively countering the threat to the kingdom's sovereignty and critical infrastructure. This defensive action aligns with broader Western and Gulf efforts to deter Iranian aggression and maintain regional stability following Tehran's retaliatory strikes and Hormuz disruptions. Riyadh has signaled readiness for further calibrated responses to any future violations.
Pro-Peace
Saudi Arabia's downing of drones amid fragile regional tensions risks further escalation that could endanger civilians through retaliatory strikes and renewed instability. The prior closure of the Strait of Hormuz and cross-border attacks have already inflicted humanitarian costs via disrupted energy supplies and civilian hardship across the Gulf. Diplomatic mediation, such as Pakistan's role in securing the April ceasefire now extended indefinitely, remains essential to avert more violence and prioritize de-escalation over military reprisals.
Global South
Saudi Arabia asserted its sovereignty by intercepting three drones that breached its airspace from Iraq, vowing operational measures to safeguard its territory amid persistent violations. These incidents stem from neo-colonial US and Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered retaliatory actions, including disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, exposing how external powers destabilize the region at the expense of Global South states. Pakistani-mediated ceasefire efforts collapsed due to institutional shortcomings, allowing Washington to unilaterally extend the fragile truce and perpetuate imbalances.
ISTANBUL, May 18 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Saudi Arabia said Sunday evening that its air defences intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered the country’s airspace from Iraq, Anadolu Ajansi reported. Defence Ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the drones were shot d…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.