War on Iran: Saudi Arabia warns of imminent attacks by Iraqi groups and Yemen's Houthis
Saudi Arabia has warned that Iraqi armed groups and Yemen’s Houthis could soon launch coordinated attacks against the kingdom under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A senior Saudi official, speaking anonymously to Reuters late on Thursday, said intelligence gathered by Saudi Arabia, the United States and other countries in the region indicated that civilian and economic sites could be targeted.
The potential targets include energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
Saudi Arabia had detected the movement of drones and missiles, according to the official, suggesting preparations for attacks from Iraq to the north and Yemen to the south.
Riyadh was ready to take all necessary measures against “any aggression” the official added.
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The warning comes as Saudi Arabia becomes increasingly entangled in the Israeli-US war on Iran that began on 28 February.
Saudi and US forces struck positions belonging to Iran-backed groups in Iraq on 29 July after Riyadh blamed them for drone attacks on its oil facilities.
The strikes targeted headquarters used by the Popular Mobilisation Forces, killing more than 20 people and wounding at least 30.
Iraqi armed groups vowed to retaliate.
However, Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the Badr Organisation, urged them to delay their response.
In a video broadcast by Iraqi media, Amiri called on fighters to postpone attacks over what he described as “American-Saudi” aggression and to overlook their wounds for the “sake of Iraq’s highest interests”.
Renewed campaign
Saudi Arabia has also faced renewed attacks from the Houthis.
The Yemeni group said it attacked Najran airport on Tuesday as part of a broader campaign against Saudi military, infrastructure and shipping targets.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government said the Houthis killed at least 17 government soldiers on Thursday during attacks on Saudi-backed deployments in Marib and Hadramout provinces.
Some sources have put the government death toll at at least 58.
The Houthis have also disrupted Saudi oil exports through their blockade in the Red Sea, further drawing Riyadh into the wider confrontation.
Amid the escalating threats, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are expected to sign a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.
Neither the Houthis nor Iran immediately responded to the Saudi warning.
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