Saudi Arabia has announced that its air defences intercepted and\ndestroyed three drones detected entering the country\u2019s airspace from\nIraq. Riyadh has asserted that it will take all necessary measures to\nrespond to the incident.<\/p>\n
Saudi Ministry of Defence spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, reported on\nMonday (18\/5\/2026) that the foreign drones were shot down on Sunday\n(17\/5) morning after being detected entering Saudi airspace from Iraqi\nterritory. Al-Maliki emphasised that the Saudi Kingdom \u201chas the right to\nrespond at the appropriate time and place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c(Saudi Arabia) will take and implement all necessary operational\nactions to respond to any attempt to violate sovereignty, security, and\nthe safety of citizens and residents,\u201d Al-Maliki stated. There has been\nno immediate response from Iraqi authorities regarding the matter.<\/p>\n
This interception follows an incident last month when the Saudi\nMinistry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh\nconcerning what were described as continuous attacks and threats\ntargeting Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations using drones launched from\nIraq.<\/p>\n
On the same day, a drone attack triggered a fire near a nuclear power\nplant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Local authorities reported no\ncasualties or impact on radiation levels at the site. The Abu Dhabi\nMedia Office stated that authorities responded to a fire in an\nelectrical generator outside the perimeter of the Barakah nuclear power\nplant complex in the Al Dhafra region, caused by a drone attack, though\nthe source of the attack was not specified.<\/p>\n
Regional tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel\nlaunched large-scale attacks against Iran on 28 February. Tehran\nresponded with waves of missile and drone attacks against targets in\nIsrael and Gulf nations hosting US military assets. Iran has also\neffectively restricted transit activity in the Strait of Hormuz during\nthe conflict. In response, the US has imposed a naval blockade since 13\nApril, targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n
A ceasefire suspending hostilities has been in place since 8 April,\nmediated by Pakistan. However, subsequent peace negotiations failed to\nreach an agreement to end the war permanently. The ceasefire was later\nunilaterally extended by US President Donald Trump for an indefinite\nperiod, though Trump maintained that the US naval blockade remains in\neffect.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tensions-rise-as-saudi-arabia-intercepts-three-drones-entering-from-iraq-1780911310", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }