RIYADH: Saudi air defenses have intercepted three cruise missiles targeting a key industrial area in the Kingdom, hours after stopping a drone attack on an oil refinery, the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.
The missiles were shot down outside of Al-Kharj governorate, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, official spokesperson for ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Al Kharj is a major industrial and agricultural center southeast of the capital, Riyadh.
Earlier Wednesday, the ministry said the Kingdom's air defenses stopped a drone attack targeting the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province.
“Initial assessments indicate the (Ras Tanura) attack was carried out by a drone and did not result in any damage or disruption to supplies,” a Ministry of Energy official stated.
While the refinery sustained minor damage earlier this week from intercepted debris, authorities confirmed the latest attempts were thwarted without impact on critical infrastructure.
The recent surge in aerial attacks follows a dramatic escalation in regional tensions that began on February 28, 2026, following direct military confrontations between Israel, the United States, and Iran.
The Kingdom has faced a persistent barrage of threats this week. On March 3, air defenses intercepted ight drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj. On the same day, a drone strike on the US Embassy in Riyadh caused a limited fire and minor structural damage.
A drone attack a day earlier on the Ras Tanura refinery led to a temporary suspension of some liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exports as a precautionary measure.
Other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman — have faced similar aggression since the conflict expanded. Iranian attacks in the Gulf region have killed at least nine people and wounded dozens, according to reports quoting local authorities.
The maritime sector has also been targeted; a commercial vessel was recently struck by missiles off the coast of Oman, contributing to a massive backlog of over 150 tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, where oil traffic has reportedly plunged by nearly 86 percent.
The GCC held an 50th extraordinary ministerial meeting in Riyadh on March 1, 2026, to address what it termed "treacherous Iranian aggression," affirming the collective right of member states to defend their territory.
In a session on March 3, the Saudi Cabinet, chaired by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, declared that the Kingdom reserves the “full right” to respond to Iranian aggression. The Cabinet underscored that Saudi Arabia will take all necessary measures to safeguard its security and protect its territory, citizens, and residents from these "blatant and cowardly" strikes.
