Saudi Arabia reported intercepting drones that targeted oil facilities in its eastern province and Riyadh on Monday, as regional tensions persist.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated it “reserves the right to respond” to the attack, which it attributed to Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, without providing specific evidence.

Separately, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for targeting Saudi crude oil transport infrastructure, though it remains unclear whether the two incidents were coordinated.

The attacks come amid a relative lull in hostilities between the US and Iran, with mediators suggesting increased chances of a return to negotiations. However, the drone strikes indicate that Tehran may be testing the new US stance, and that Iran-linked armed groups are not ready to follow suit.

Following two weeks of intense conflict, US officials have spoken of a change in strategy, and Washington has allegedly paused strikes on Iran. Iran claims it has also paused attacks on US allies in the Gulf region.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reported drone attacks on Monday. Amman said it shot down two drones, while Iraqi security sources reported strikes on camps housing Iranian-Kurdish opposition fighters in the north.

Officials did not identify the source of either attack, but Jordan and northern Iraq were locations where four US service members were killed over the past fortnight.

The Houthis later announced that nine of their fighters had been killed amid escalating military confrontations with Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition in recent days.

Source: www.aljazeera.com