Saudi Arabia reported three downed UAVs from Iraq

Three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iraq were shot down in Saudi Arabia. This was announced on May 17 by the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia, Turki al-Maliki.

"On Sunday morning, May 17, 2026, three drones were intercepted and destroyed after they entered the kingdom's airspace from Iraqi airspace," his words are transmitted in the publication of the department on the social network X (ex. Twitter).

Major General Al-Maliki stressed that the Ministry of Defense reserves the right to respond at any time and in any place to any threat to the sovereignty and security of Saudi citizens and residents.

Helsinki Syndrome: Will a non-aggression pact be able to stabilize the Middle East

Saudi Arabia has initiated discussions on a fundamentally new security architecture in the region

The Reuters news agency reported on May 13 that Saudi Arabia had launched numerous, unannounced strikes against Iran in response to attacks carried out in the kingdom during the war in the Middle East. The authors of the material note that the Saudi attacks, which had not been previously reported, mark the first known case of direct military action by the kingdom on Iranian territory.