Arabic version: السعودية تأمر بطرد الملحق العسكري الإيراني وموظفيه
Saudi Arabia has given Iran’s military attache and embassy staff 24 hours to leave the kingdom due to “repeated Iranian attacks” on its territory. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the military attache, the assistant military attache, and three members of the mission staff personae non gratae.
According to Al Jazeera, the expulsion is part of a broader context involving the US-Israeli war on Iran, during which Tehran has targeted Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations that host US military assets. These attacks have increasingly impacted civilian areas and energy facilities, contributing to instability in the region and fluctuations in global energy markets.
Saudi Arabia, which holds the world’s second-largest proven crude oil reserves, has come under attack by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones since the start of the war, the vast majority of which have been intercepted. Notably, energy facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia and the capital, Riyadh, have been frequent targets, with recent drone strikes impacting the US embassy compound.
The situation escalated further on Thursday when oil loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu were disrupted due to a drone incident near the Aramco-Exxon refinery, known as SAMREF. This port serves as Saudi Arabia’s only export outlet after Iran effectively blocked tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier in the week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud expressed that trust in Iran had been “shattered” and underscored the country’s right to defend itself. He noted that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states possess significant military capabilities that could be utilized if necessary. The Foreign Ministry warned that ongoing Iranian attacks would lead to further escalation and have “significant consequences” for both current and future relations. This statement follows Qatar’s similar decision to declare the Iranian Embassy’s military and security attaches in Doha as personae non gratae, along with their staff.
