Iran expands retaliatory strikes across the Gulf

Iranian retaliation against the United States and Israel’s military campaign has expanded across the Gulf, with drones launched towards key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, according to regional defence officials.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a number of drones heading towards the Shaibah oil field, a major Saudi Aramco facility located in the Empty Quarter desert near the UAE border.

The ministry’s spokesman, Major General Turki al-Malki, stated that the drones were detected and neutralised before reaching their target, while air defence units also intercepted ballistic missiles fired towards Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh.

The attempted strikes come as part of a broader escalation following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on 28 February, which triggered a wave of retaliatory attacks by Tehran and its allied forces across the region.

In recent days, Iranian drones and missiles have targeted several locations across the Gulf, including energy infrastructure and military installations linked to the United States and its regional allies.

Analysts say Tehran’s strategy appears focused on pressuring regional energy infrastructure and shipping routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil exports passes.

The growing confrontation has raised fears of a wider regional conflict and has already begun to affect global energy markets and shipping routes in the Gulf.