Saudi Arabia Shoots Down Drones Fired by Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq, Raising Tensions

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry on Monday said that its military shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq that allegedly had targeted Riyadh’s petroleum facilities, highlighting the risk that tensions could ignite a new front of conflict in West Asia. A statement by the Saudi Defence Ministry posted on social media didn’t detail any casualties or damage in the incident. Riyadh’s foreign ministry stated that “it reserves the right to respond” after an alleged attack from an Iran-backed Iraqi armed group, Reuters reported. “Saudi Arabia reserves its legitimate right to defend itself, its territory and critical infrastructure, and retains the right to respond at the appropriate time and place,” the ministry said. The conflict between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia has underlined a heightened threat of opening a new battlefront in West Asia, where the United States and Iran remain engaged in a war that is about to complete five months. A new theatre of conflict in the region could potentially have grave implications for energy and gas supply and global markets, CNN reported. Earlier this month, Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of striking Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport in order to prevent a plane from landing that was returning from the funeral procession of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The flight was reportedly carrying a high-profile Houthi delegation. It was reported later that Yemen’s Saudi-backed government had carried out the strikes. The attempt by Houthi rebels to land the flight in Sanaa was an attempt to breach years-long restrictions on Sanaa air links by resuming direct flights from Tehran. Saudi Arabia shooting down the Iran-backed militia drones and reigniting conflict with Houthi rebels is a dangerous escalation, as Riyadh and Houthis have had an informal ceasefire in place in recent years. Amid the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz affecting 20 per cent of global oil and gas supply, the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. It is a significant development since the route had become vital for Riyadh’s oil exports after Hormuz was shut.