Saudi Tells Iran to Wise Up, or Else

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat is signaling his country’s tolerance for Iran’s strikes is wearing thin. Hours after two barrages of ballistic missiles were shot down over Riyadh, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Thursday the kingdom “will not shy away” from defending its territory and energy infrastructure and warned that military action remains on the table, without specifying what might trigger it, per the New York Times. The comments come as Iran has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Gulf states hosting US bases since late February, with Saudi Arabia now facing a growing share of the fire.

The latest salvo injured four foreign residents in Riyadh and coincided with a high-level regional meeting in the capital to address Iranian attacks. Prince Faisal framed it as a deliberate effort by Tehran to rattle diplomats gathered from across the region. “All I can say is, we were not intimidated,” he said. The Saudi defense ministry also reported drones hitting a Red Sea oil refinery and said it had intercepted a missile aimed at Yanbu, a critical export terminal that skirts the tense Strait of Hormuz. Prince Faisal said any remaining trust between Riyadh and Tehran has collapsed and though he hopes Iran will “stop attacking their neighbors … I am doubtful they have that wisdom,” per Al Jazeera.