Saudi Arabia Iran tensions intensified after a Saudi official said multiple intelligence reports indicated that Houthi forces, Iraqi militias and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were coordinating plans to attack Saudi Arabia. Riyadh said it had observed drone and missile movements that suggested possible coordinated strikes from both the south and the north against civilian and economic targets, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
The Saudi official said the intelligence was particularly concerning because talks aimed at de-escalation were reportedly making progress. According to the official, Saudi Arabia would take all necessary measures to respond to any aggression. The official also said Saudi-US security cooperation remained close at all levels, including operational collaboration with CENTCOM.
Saudi state television, citing Iraqi sources, reported that security intelligence indicated armed factions were planning to launch drone attacks on a neighbouring country within 48 hours. Separately, CBS reported that US President Donald Trump would hold a phone call with Saudi leaders to discuss Iran. Al Arabiya and Saudi outlet Haddath, citing Iraqi security sources, also reported that Iraqi armed factions had redeployed to front lines amid fears of an escalation in the security situation.
Saudi Arabia Iran Tensions Deepen Amid Regional Activity
The latest developments came as Pakistani media reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders are expected to sign a trilateral defence cooperation agreement involving Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Turkish media also reported that President Erdogan would hold a trilateral summit with the Saudi crown prince and Pakistan’s prime minister.
Earlier, Saudi state television reported that Prime Minister Sharif had arrived in Jeddah. Other reports said Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan would sign a joint defence agreement in Saudi Arabia on Friday. The planned meeting represents a significant regional diplomatic development amid heightened security concerns across the Middle East.
Tensions also increased in Yemen. Yemeni government sources said on August 6 that Houthi forces attacked army camps in Marib and Hadramawt provinces, killing at least 30 government soldiers, with the death toll potentially rising. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree released a video statement claiming that missile and drone strikes had targeted what he described as Saudi military deployments in both provinces.
Saree said hundreds of pro-Saudi fighters had been killed or wounded and claimed that camps, weapons depots and military vehicles had been destroyed. Separately, IRNA cited Yemen-based sources linked to Houthi forces as saying that a Saudi military command centre had been attacked.
Yemen’s Supreme Political Council said heightened vigilance had thwarted what it described as a Saudi plot to launch a ground offensive, create internal discord and prevent the lifting of a 12-year blockade. Tasnim News Agency also cited Yemeni sources as saying that the world would soon hear Saudi Arabia’s “wailing” following attacks on camps in Yemen.
Meanwhile, a Saudi-led coalition spokesman said coalition forces would continue deterrent operations against Houthi aggression and work to ensure the safety of citizens. The coalition spokesperson also said that a Houthi attack injured 11 civilians in Najran province, including seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani.
Another Saudi official said any planned attack could be intended to undermine ongoing diplomatic and de-escalation efforts. The official added that the threat signals might point to an internal “power struggle” in Iran, although no evidence was provided to support that claim.
