Riyadh | BETH

A Saudi source has denied a report published by The New York Times claiming that the Kingdom’s leadership is encouraging the prolongation of the ongoing war in the Middle East amid the military confrontation linked to U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran.

The source stressed that Saudi Arabia’s position is based on preventing the expansion of the conflict and maintaining regional stability, noting that the Kingdom had previously warned of the grave consequences of Iran’s continued violations of state sovereignty and principles of international law.

Saudi Arabia also strongly condemned what it described as Iranian aggression and violations targeting Gulf states and Jordan, reaffirming its full solidarity with the affected countries and its readiness to support them with all available capabilities in any measures taken to safeguard their security and stability.

On the ground, Saudi air defenses continued intercepting aerial threats. The official spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, announced a series of successful operations to intercept and destroy drones targeting several areas across the Kingdom, including the Eastern Province, Al-Kharj Governorate, and parts of the Riyadh and Eastern regions.

According to successive statements issued by the Ministry of Defense, Saudi air defense systems have shot down around 80 drones during multiple waves of attacks.

BETH Follow-up:
The pattern of the reported figures suggests that drone attacks are being launched in intermittent and successive waves, likely aimed at exhausting air defense systems and testing their readiness. The repeated interceptions highlight the high operational capability of Saudi air defense systems in dealing with this type of threat.

The combination of intensified defensive operations and the Kingdom’s denial of seeking to prolong the conflict reflects a policy focused on protecting national security while preventing the escalation of the regional war.