While Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said it continues to intercept incoming ballistic missiles from Iran even on Monday, reports hint that Iran could have limited its attack on Saudi Arabia. The key decision taken by Tehran is out of concern that any further attack could trigger the kingdom to respond militarily.
Iran has launched over 44 ballistic and seven cruise missiles and 600 drones at Saudi Arabia. Most of the drones were aimed at the Eastern Province, where many of the kingdom's oil refineries are located, and then at Shaybah - a large oil field in the Riqb District. Most of the missiles were aimed at Al-Kharj, about 80 kilometres southeast of Riyadh, where the Prince Sultan Air Base is located.
On Monday, the Kingdom said it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward the Riyadh region, one of which was intercepted, and the other fell in an uninhabited area. Four Iranian drones targeting the Eastern and Northern Border provinces were also intercepted and destroyed, the ministry said.
However, sources told Jewish media channel 124 that Iranian officials believe that the “Saudis are on the edge” and continued large-scale attacks on the kingdom could push it to take a step it has refrained from taking so far - a direct attack on Iran .
Saudi officials have made it clear in the past, including in talks with Iran, that their red line is any attack on electricity generation and water desalination facilities. "If you target civilian infrastructure, we will be forced to attack you ," Saudi officials have warned in recent weeks, including in direct talks with senior Iranian officials.
i24NEWS also claimed that Iran has decided to refrain from attacking Qatar, which is trying to bring an end to the war. However, the attacks against Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates "will continue as usual."
Saudi Arabia on Sunday expelled the Iranian military attaché and other staff from the embassy, claiming indirect involvement in the wave of Iranian attacks against the Gulf states. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that the attaché, his assistant and three other staff members were required to leave the country within 24 hours, after being designated as "persona non grata”.
Geopolitical experts believe Saudi Arabia’s stance is very instrumental, as there is a divide emerging in the Gulf. According to Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were neutral before this war. “But as they have been attacked, they have come to the realisation that they cannot live with this hardline Iranian regime next door, which can, at a m
