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Saudi Arabia Protests Iraqi Drone Attacks on Kingdom, Gulf Nations
(MENAFN) Saudi Arabia escalated diplomatic tensions Sunday by summoning Iraq's Ambassador Safia Taleb al-Suhail to lodge a formal protest over what Riyadh described as "continued attacks and blatant threats" against the kingdom and neighboring Gulf states originating from Iraqi soil.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed the move in an official statement, citing the persistent nature of the drone strikes as the trigger for the diplomatic démarche. The ministry offered no further specifics on the timing or scale of the reported attacks, and Baghdad had not issued any immediate response at the time of publication.
Speaking during the delivery of a formal protest note, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saud al-Sati did not mince words. According to a Saudi state news agency, he declared that Riyadh condemns "attacks originating from Iraqi territory against the kingdom and Gulf states," and stressed "the importance of Iraq acting responsibly in addressing these threats and attacks." He reiterated the kingdom's "categorical rejection of violations of state sovereignty and attempts to threaten the security and stability of the region."
The news agency stopped short of clarifying whether the attacks in question occurred before or after a two-week US-Iran ceasefire came into force earlier this week — a distinction carrying significant diplomatic weight.
The backdrop to Sunday's summons is one of sustained regional volatility. Iran-backed Iraqi factions had been launching strikes against what they characterized as "US interests in the region" throughout the US-Israeli assault on Iran that has claimed more than 3,000 lives since February 28. Several of those attacks struck civilian infrastructure across Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia itself. Iraqi armed groups subsequently announced their adherence to the Iran-US truce, which has been in effect since dawn on Wednesday.
The diplomatic flare-up comes on the heels of a fruitless negotiating session between Iranian and US delegations, who wrapped up 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, early Sunday without reaching an agreement.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed the move in an official statement, citing the persistent nature of the drone strikes as the trigger for the diplomatic démarche. The ministry offered no further specifics on the timing or scale of the reported attacks, and Baghdad had not issued any immediate response at the time of publication.
Speaking during the delivery of a formal protest note, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saud al-Sati did not mince words. According to a Saudi state news agency, he declared that Riyadh condemns "attacks originating from Iraqi territory against the kingdom and Gulf states," and stressed "the importance of Iraq acting responsibly in addressing these threats and attacks." He reiterated the kingdom's "categorical rejection of violations of state sovereignty and attempts to threaten the security and stability of the region."
The news agency stopped short of clarifying whether the attacks in question occurred before or after a two-week US-Iran ceasefire came into force earlier this week — a distinction carrying significant diplomatic weight.
The backdrop to Sunday's summons is one of sustained regional volatility. Iran-backed Iraqi factions had been launching strikes against what they characterized as "US interests in the region" throughout the US-Israeli assault on Iran that has claimed more than 3,000 lives since February 28. Several of those attacks struck civilian infrastructure across Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia itself. Iraqi armed groups subsequently announced their adherence to the Iran-US truce, which has been in effect since dawn on Wednesday.
The diplomatic flare-up comes on the heels of a fruitless negotiating session between Iranian and US delegations, who wrapped up 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, early Sunday without reaching an agreement.
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