Saudi Arabia intercepts drones targeting oil facilities, blames Iran-backed Iraqi militias

Saudi Arabia announced Monday that it intercepted a drone attack targeting oil facilities in its Eastern Province and targets in Riyadh, blaming Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi territory. The Saudi Defense Ministry stated, "These terrorist attempts originated from Iraqi territory and were carried out by Iran-backed militias." The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the act and called on Iraq to prevent its territory from being used for attacks. This incident occurred during a pause in fighting between Iran and the United States, as mediators from Qatar and Oman work to revive an agreement and address disputes, including the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, described recent talks with Oman as "positive" but reiterated that Tehran considers a previous memorandum invalid and the Strait of Hormuz closed.