Two of the drones were intercepted over the Empty Quarter desert while reportedly heading toward the Shaybah oil field, one of Saudi Arabia’s key oil production sites.
Amid rising tensions across West Asia, Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted multiple drones targeting the country’s energy infrastructure in the eastern region, the Ministry of Defence said.
In a series of updates on X, the ministry confirmed that Saudi forces had successfully neutralised three additional drone strikes after initially downing 18 unmanned aerial vehicles over the kingdom’s eastern territories.
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Two of the drones were intercepted over the Empty Quarter desert while reportedly heading toward the Shaybah oil field, one of Saudi Arabia’s key oil production sites. Authorities later confirmed that two more drones were destroyed elsewhere in the eastern region.
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The attempted strikes come as diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent further escalation in the Middle East. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, during which both sides stressed the need for coordinated international efforts to prevent the crisis from worsening. Russia’s foreign ministry said the two diplomats emphasised consolidating global efforts to stabilise the situation.
The diplomatic push followed a warning from Washington. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth cautioned Russia against intervening in the ongoing West Asia conflict, which involves Iran, the United States and Israel.
Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth referred to a recent call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the conversation reportedly suggested an opportunity for progress on the Ukraine war, it also included a clear message that Russia should not become involved in the Iran conflict.
The Kremlin confirmed the discussion, with presidential aide Yuri Ushakov describing the exchange as “businesslike, open and constructive.” Reports indicated that Trump initiated the call to discuss the latest international developments, including the Iran crisis and the possibility of trilateral talks involving Washington, Moscow and Kyiv.
Following the conversation with the US president, Putin also held discussions with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders discussed the ongoing escalation in the Middle East, which Moscow attributed to what it described as the United States’ and Israel’s “armed aggression” against Iran.
(With inputs from ANI)
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