Israel shoots down drones approaching its eastern frontier, with attacks also reported in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
By World Israel News Staff
A wave of drone attacks and interceptions was reported across Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq on Monday and Tuesday, despite a temporary halt in direct fighting between the US and Iran.
The Israeli Air Force intercepted an unmanned aircraft near the Jordanian border early Tuesday, marking the second consecutive day that drones were detected in the area, the IDF said.
The drone did not enter Israeli territory, and the military said no warning sirens were activated “in accordance with protocol.” The IDF said it was investigating where the aircraft had been launched.
The incident followed the interception of two additional drones near the Jordanian border on Monday.
“A short while ago, the IDF intercepted two UAVs identified in the area of the Jordan border,” the military said following Monday’s incident.
“The UAVs did not cross into Israeli territory. The origin of the launch is under review.”
Jordanian forces separately shot down two drones that the country’s military said were “targeting the kingdom” on Monday. The Royal Jordanian Air Force reported that the interceptions caused no casualties or material damage.
Jordan intercepted another drone over the eastern part of the country on Tuesday after it entered Jordanian airspace. Jordanian and Israeli officials did not publicly identify the origins of the aircraft involved in the two days of incidents.
The interceptions came as Saudi Arabia reported a more extensive assault on its energy infrastructure.
Saudi air defenses destroyed drones targeting oil facilities in the Eastern Province and the capital, Riyadh, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry. Riyadh said the aircraft had been launched from Iraq by Iran-backed armed groups.
Saudi Arabia condemned what it called the “aggression” and said it retained the right to respond against those responsible. The Saudi Foreign Ministry called on Baghdad to take “all necessary measures” to prevent Iraqi territory from being used as a launching point for attacks on the kingdom.
Iraq’s prime minister ordered an investigation and said Iraq would not permit its territory to be used for attacks against neighboring countries.
No Iraqi militia immediately claimed responsibility for the launches.
Satellite imagery and videos circulating after the attack appeared to show smoke rising from the Abqaiq oil-processing facility in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Wall Street Journal reported that the facility sustained minor damage, although Saudi Aramco did not immediately provide a detailed public assessment.
Abqaiq is one of the most important oil-processing installations in the world. An attack on the facility in September 2019 temporarily disrupted a significant portion of Saudi production.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement separately claimed that it had attacked sensitive Saudi oil-transport infrastructure connecting the kingdom’s eastern production areas with the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the operation was retaliation for what the group described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.
It was not immediately clear whether the Houthis were claiming the same attacks Saudi Arabia attributed to Iraqi militias or a separate operation against the east-west oil network.
The pipeline to Yanbu has become increasingly important as Saudi Arabia seeks to move oil to the Red Sea without relying on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has restricted shipping through the strait during its conflict with the US, disrupting a waterway that normally handles roughly one-fifth of global oil traffic.
The Houthis last week threatened to blockade Saudi oil activity in the Red Sea, potentially extending the disruption from the Strait of Hormuz to another critical maritime corridor.
Saudi Arabia has responded to the Houthi escalation with airstrikes against what it described as military installations at Yemen’s Hodeidah port. Riyadh said the operations were intended to protect maritime traffic and the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.
The renewed hostilities threaten to unravel the informal truce that largely halted direct fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis beginning in 2022.
Drone attacks were also reported in northern Iraq, where camps housing Iranian Kurdish opposition organizations came under fire. Iraqi security officials did not initially identify who launched the aircraft.
Additional explosions were reported around Erbil early Tuesday, including in areas northeast of the Kurdistan Region’s capital. Local reports said drones targeted the Khalifan and Soran areas, while explosions were heard near the US Consulate.
The attacks reportedly caused fires, but there was no immediate confirmed casualty toll. The Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah was also reported to have come under attack.
Iran has repeatedly targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in northern Iraq, accusing them of cooperating with Israel and the US and of organizing attacks inside Iranian territory. Tehran has also pressured Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government to disarm the organizations and move them away from the Iranian border.
The regional drone activity continued even as President Donald Trump said the US and Iran were conducting encouraging negotiations following his decision to suspend nearly two weeks of American airstrikes.
“We’re having good talks,” Trump said Monday. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen.”
Trump warned, however, that US military operations would resume if diplomacy failed.
Iran disputed Trump’s description of the contacts. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei acknowledged that messages were being exchanged through intermediaries but denied reports that Tehran had requested renewed negotiations.
“This is not in our DNA,” Baghaei said.
A senior Iranian official had previously said Tehran would suspend its attacks for as long as the US maintained its pause. Iran has not acknowledged responsibility for the drones intercepted near Israel and Jordan or for the attacks reported in Saudi Arabia.
