Iranian Ballistic Missiles Strike Saudi and Iraqi Oil Refineries

Tensions in the Middle East rose again after ballistic missiles and drones were reported to target military facilities, airports, and oil refineries in Saudi Arabia and Iraq on Saturday (7 March 2026). The attack occurred amid an escalation of conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel since late February.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence said it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the airbase housing American personnel. In a statement on X, the ministry said the missile was directed at Prince Sultan Air Base in the southeast of the capital Riyadh. “The ballistic missile launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base has been intercepted and destroyed,” the ministry said.

In a separate incident, Saudi state news agency SPA quoted a defence ministry spokesperson saying drones also targeted the large Shaybah oil field near the UAE border. “An attack on the Shaybah field was thwarted; six drones were intercepted and destroyed,” the report said.

Iran has launched a number of missile and drone strikes against Israel and Gulf states since the conflict began with a wave of strikes by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic on 28 February.

Saudi Arabia, as the world’s largest oil exporter, also reported at least two drone attacks earlier in the week targeting the Ras Tanura refinery in the eastern part of the country.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, drone strikes also hit airports and oil facilities on Friday (6 March 2026). US-led coalition forces were reported to have shot down several drones over Erbil in the Kurdish region after warnings of potential attacks on hotels frequented by foreign nationals.

The latest attack, believed to be linked to Iran, also struck targets belonging to opposition Kurdish groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, following reports that militants may be attempting to cross the border into Iran.

A security official told AFP that Baghdad International Airport, which also hosts a military base and American diplomatic facilities, was attacked with drones and missiles. “Baghdad International Airport was targeted by a series of drone and missile strikes,” the official said.

Another security source confirmed that the drone strikes were followed by a fire at the airport area. Hours earlier, Iraqi authorities also reported rockets fired at the facility from Abu Ghraib near Baghdad. Security forces later recovered a vehicle containing unexploded ordnance.

In Basra province in southern Iraq, an oil facility housing a foreign energy company was hit twice. A Basra security official said two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but one drone penetrated the defence and struck the location. “Two drones were shot down over the Burjesia oil complex, but one drone got through and hit the site,” the official said.

Earlier, security sources said the facility, along with another oil field and Basra airport, were also targets.

Iraq has long been a stage for indirect confrontation between the United States and Iran. The Iraqi government says it does not want to be dragged into a wider war, yet the country remains affected. Since the conflict began, Iraq has been the site of various attacks attributed to the United States and Israel against groups supported by Iran. The groups claim they will not stay neutral and have claimed attacks on US military bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. The Kurdistan Regional Government in the north, which hosts American troops, has also been a frequent target.

Explosions were heard near the airport in Erbil, where international coalition forces have in the past intercepted drones. Kurdish security forces said the coalition forces shot down four drones carrying explosives over Erbil. “The international coalition forces shot down four drones carrying explosives over Erbil,” the Kurdish security forces said. They added that debris from one of the drones fell near a hotel, with no reported casualties.

Earlier, the United States also warned that Iranian-supported militant groups could target hotels in Kurdistan that are commonly used by foreigners.

The Kurdistan Regional Government said oil production at a field operated by American company HKN Energy was halted after attacks the previous day in Dohuk. The ministry said the attack was launched from territory of Iraq under the federal government.

Security sources told AFP that the attack on the facility involved two drones. The Kurdistan region of Iraq has also been home to camps and bases for several Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, which Iran has attacked on multiple occasions since the conflict began. Tehran even threatened on Friday to target “all facilities” in Kurdistan if Iran-based Kurdish militants are allowed to cross into Iran.

Nevertheless, some opposition sources say there are currently no forces crossing the border into Iran. However, the article ends abruptly here.