Saudi Arabia has long projected itself as a stabilising force in the Middle East, presenting an image of cautious diplomacy, economic ambition and regional leadership. But revelations emerging from the Gulf suggest that behind closed doors, the kingdom has been pursuing a far more aggressive strategy in its confrontation with Iran, combining covert military operations, strategic threats and secret negotiations in a bid to secure its future in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
According to reporting first highlighted by Reuters and expanded upon in analysis published by The Times UK, Saudi Arabia quietly carried out air strikes against Iran during the active phase of the recent regional conflict, even as Saudi officials publicly urged restraint and de-escalation. The undisclosed attacks mark a dramatic escalation in the shadow war between the two rival powers and reveal how deeply Saudi Arabia fears the growing threat posed by Tehran and its regional allies.
For years, the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran has shaped the political and military landscape of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites and the largest economy in the Arab world, sees itself as the natural leader of the Gulf region. Iran, meanwhile, has sought to expand its influence through regional militias, political alliances and military pressure stretching from Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and Yemen.
The hostility between the two nations has repeatedly threatened to erupt into open war. Saudi officials have never forgotten the 2019 attack on the massive Abqaiq oil facility, when cruise missiles and drones temporarily crippled a key part of the kingdom’s oil production infrastructure. The attack exposed the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s energy network and shook confidence in regional security arrangements.
This time, Saudi Arabia appears determined not to be caught unprepared. Analysts with close connections to Gulf governments say Riyadh established communication channels with Tehran early in the conflict, attempting to define “red lines” that could prevent total escalation. One such warning reportedly stated that any major Iranian attack on Saudi oil infrastructure would trigger devastating retaliation against Iran’s own energy facilities, including Kharg Island, a crucial oil export hub.
Although that worst-case scenario was avoided, tensions rapidly intensified. Iran and its allied militias allegedly launched waves of missiles and drones across the region, targeting Saudi-linked interests and critical infrastructure. According to regional diplomats cited in The Times UK analysis, Saudi officials tolerated some Iranian attacks against American interests because Riyadh was frustrated by Washington’s role in escalating the conflict. But when ballistic missiles reportedly struck the Saudi capital during a gathering of Islamic foreign ministers, the kingdom’s patience ended.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan publicly warned that the kingdom would defend both its territory and economic assets. Soon after, undeclared Saudi air strikes reportedly targeted Iranian missile installations. Riyadh also responded militarily after pro-Iranian militias in Iraq allegedly launched drone attacks against facilities linked to the kingdom’s strategic oil export network.
At the centre of Saudi Arabia’s calculations is the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Much of the Gulf’s oil exports pass through the narrow waterway, making it a constant source of geopolitical vulnerability. Saudi Arabia has attempted to reduce that dependence by developing alternative export routes across the Red Sea, including pipelines leading to the Yanbu terminal. However, even these backup systems have increasingly come under threat from drones and regional militias.
The kingdom’s concerns extend far beyond oil. Saudi Arabia’s desalination plants, which provide most of the country’s drinking water, are viewed as an even greater strategic weakness. Analysts warn that any successful attack against this infrastructure could create a humanitarian catastrophe and destabilise the kingdom internally. That fear partly explains why Saudi leaders continue to pursue diplomacy alongside military preparations.
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia reportedly floated the idea of a regional non-aggression pact involving Gulf states and Iran, modelled loosely on Cold War-era European security agreements. The proposal reflects Riyadh’s growing recognition that traditional alliances may no longer guarantee protection in an increasingly fragmented Middle East.
The war has also exposed cracks in the old Gulf order. The Gulf Cooperation Council, once seen as the cornerstone of collective Arab security, has steadily weakened as member states pursue competing interests. The United Arab Emirates has deepened strategic ties with Israel, Oman has maintained pragmatic channels with Tehran, and Qatar has balanced relations across rival camps.
Facing this fractured landscape, Saudi Arabia is now attempting to build a new regional power bloc involving Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan. The emerging alignment is designed to strengthen Riyadh’s leverage against Iran while reducing dependence on the United States, whose reliability as a security guarantor has increasingly been questioned by Gulf leaders.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spent years investing heavily in military modernisation and domestic economic transformation through his Vision 2030 programme. Yet the latest conflict has highlighted the limitations of even Saudi Arabia’s vast defence spending. Despite possessing one of the Middle East’s most advanced air forces, the kingdom remains vulnerable to asymmetric warfare, drone attacks and disruptions to global energy flows.
The kingdom’s balancing act has become even more complicated because it cannot fully align with either side in the broader regional confrontation. While Saudi Arabia shares concerns with Israel and the United States about Iran’s growing influence, Riyadh also fears being dragged into a prolonged regional war that could devastate Gulf economies and threaten internal stability.
This delicate strategy was reflected in recent remarks by former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal, who argued that the kingdom had successfully resisted what he described as attempts to ignite a direct war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Such comments underline how Saudi leaders increasingly view themselves not only as military actors but also as survivors navigating between competing global and regional powers.
The revelations surrounding Saudi Arabia’s covert operations suggest that the kingdom’s public diplomacy tells only part of the story. Beneath official statements about peace and dialogue lies a sophisticated strategy involving secret military strikes, financial deals with regional militias, quiet diplomatic channels and rapidly evolving alliances.
As tensions with Iran continue and uncertainty spreads across the Gulf, Saudi Arabia appears to be preparing for a future in which survival depends not just on oil wealth or foreign partnerships, but on its ability to operate simultaneously as diplomat, military power and regional strategist behind a carefully maintained curtain of secrecy.
