Saudi Ministry of Defense: Precise strikes against targets of Iran-backed militant militias in Iraq

The official spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, announced that, in continuation of the statements issued by the Ministry of Defense on Monday and Tuesday last, air defenses intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern and Riyadh regions. He stated that these terrorist attacks originated from Iraqi territory and were carried out by Iran-aligned terrorist militias. He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s inherent right to self-defense and to protect its assets, as well as its right to respond at the time and place of its choosing, in accordance with the Quranic verse: “So whoever has aggressed against you, then aggress against him in the same manner that he has aggressed against you.” Furthermore, invoking the right to self-defense guaranteed under international law, specifically Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the Saudi Armed Forces, in coordination with the U.S. Central Command, launched precise strikes today, Wednesday, against targets belonging to those militias located on the territory of the Republic of Iraq and linked to the attacks on petroleum facilities in the Kingdom.

The spokesperson added that the Kingdom emphasizes it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces.