Saudi Air Force conducted covert “tit-for-tat” strikes on Iran — Reuters

Saudi Arabia carried out a series of unpublicized airstrikes on Iran in response to attacks carried out against the kingdom during the Middle East conflict, Reuters reported, citing two Western officials familiar with the matter and two Iranian officials.

These previously undisclosed Saudi strikes represent the first known instance of the kingdom conducting direct military action on Iranian territory, suggesting a more assertive posture in its response to its main regional rival, Reuters reports.

The attacks, carried out by the Saudi Air Force, were assessed to have taken place in late March, the two Western officials said. One of them said they were "tit-for-tat strikes in retaliation for when Saudi (Arabia) was hit."

Reuters was unable to independently verify the specific targets of the strikes.

Saudi Arabia, which maintains close military ties with the United States, has traditionally relied on US protection. However, the ten-week conflict exposed the kingdom to attacks that penetrated the American “military umbrella.” The strikes highlight an expansion of the conflict and the extent to which the war—initiated by US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28—has drawn in the wider Middle East.

Since those strikes, Iran has launched missiles and drones at all six Gulf Cooperation Council states, targeting not only US military bases but also civilian infrastructure, airports, and oil facilities, and closing the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Arab Emirates has also carried out military strikes on Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Monday. Together, the actions of Saudi Arabia and the UAE underscore the widening scope of the conflict, which had long remained largely covert.

However, the two countries’ approaches differ: the UAE has taken a harder line, while Saudi Arabia is seeking to avoid escalation and maintains regular contacts with Iran.

By Jeyhun Aghazada