Drone attacks hit Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq after U.S. halts Iran strike campaign

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in its eastern province and in Riyadh, attributing the launches to Iran-backed militias operating from Iraq and reserving the right to respond. Jordan reported shooting down two drones, and Iraqi security sources said a series of drones struck camps housing Iranian-opposition Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq, though the perpetrators were not identified.

The incidents occurred two days after President Donald Trump abruptly suspended a 13-night U.S. bombing campaign against Iran. Military advisers had warned that the operation was exhausting available targets and air-defence munitions. The pause caused Brent crude to fall about 6.5%, dropping below $90 a barrel.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told a televised press conference that Tehran had not requested renewed peace talks with the United States and dismissed reports of such a request as fabricated, saying “this is not in our DNA.” Iran also affirmed its control of the Strait of Hormuz and said it would keep its own attacks on hold while the U.S. cease-fire remains in effect.

Houthi forces in Yemen, allied with Iran, said they had struck oil-transit sites serving Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu in retaliation for what they described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace. Iranian state media cited an “informed source” claiming that six vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian permission were turned back, with one vessel reportedly involved in an accident.

The United Nations ambassador to the United States, Mike Waltz, said the suspension was intended to create space for negotiations, while U.S. officials have described Iran as seeking a deal. Ongoing diplomatic contacts continue through mediators, and a senior Omani delegation is reportedly discussing the strait’s navigation arrangements with Tehran.