Saudi Arabia said on Monday it intercepted and destroyed four drones targeting a key oil facility in the kingdom’s eastern region, as tensions across the Gulf intensified amid the ongoing US-Iran war.
In a statement, the Saudi defence ministry said the drones were heading towards the Shaybah oil field, located near the border with the United Arab Emirates.
“Four drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed,” the ministry said, adding that the attack was successfully thwarted before the drones could reach their target.
The incident comes as the wider Middle East faces a surge in missile and drone attacks following the escalation between Israel and Iran.
US orders evacuation of embassy staff
Amid rising security concerns, the United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia.
The State Department issued the order on Sunday, marking its first approved “ordered departure” since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.
Previously, non-critical American personnel stationed at diplomatic posts in the region had been allowed to leave voluntarily. The new directive makes their departure mandatory.
A State Department spokesperson said the move was aimed at reducing the US diplomatic footprint in the country to essential personnel due to security risks. The US Embassy in Riyadh remains operational with core staff and the measure is expected to be temporary.
The evacuation order also follows recent attacks targeting the US diplomatic compound in Riyadh and nearby areas. According to Saudi authorities, two unmanned aircraft struck the area in a drone attack earlier in the week.
Gulf region under renewed attacks
Several Gulf states reported fresh missile and drone attacks on Monday as the conflict continued to widen.
Explosions were heard in Qatar’s capital Doha, while the country’s defence ministry said its forces intercepted a missile attack.
Bahrain said an Iranian drone strike on the island of Sitra overnight wounded 32 civilians, including four in serious condition. All the injured were Bahraini citizens.
Saudi civil defence officials also reported that a projectile strike on Sunday killed two people and injured 12 others.
Iran has said it has the capacity to sustain the war for months, raising fears of prolonged instability across the region.
Leadership change in Iran
The latest escalation comes shortly after Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was appointed as the country’s new supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards quickly pledged allegiance to the new leader, while judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei described the appointment as “a source of joy and hope”.
Israel has vowed to target any successor to Iran’s leadership, while US President Donald Trump warned that the new leadership would not last long without US approval.
Iran fired its first missiles toward Israel on Monday following the leadership announcement, according to state broadcaster IRIB. Israeli medics reported that one woman was moderately injured.
Oil and markets react
The escalating conflict has shaken global markets, with both Brent and WTI crude prices surging above $100 per barrel amid fears of supply disruptions.
Stock markets in Asia fell sharply in early trading Monday as investors reacted to the spike in oil prices and concerns that the conflict could widen further across the Gulf.
