Saudi Arabia in April 2026: the most important developments in security
Saudi Arabia in April 2026 was hit repeatedly by Iranian missile and drone strikes on its energy infrastructure, as the war in the Middle East entered its fifth week. On 8 April the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the East-West oil pipeline, including facilities in the Yanbu region, which took place despite a recent ceasefire between Iran and the United States. A day earlier the Guard Corps had claimed a missile attack on a petrochemical complex in the Jubail industrial area, where a major fire broke out. The Defense Ministry reported intercepting seven missiles on 6 April and five on both 7 and 8 April. By 10 April Riyadh said the attacks had affected its oil production and that the SATORP refinery had been shut down.
Saudi Arabia's partners moved to reinforce it. Pakistan condemned the strikes as a dangerous escalation and from 11 April sent fighter jets and troops under a mutual defense pact; Riyadh confirmed 13,000 troops and aircraft at an airbase, which analysts said could alter the dynamics of the conflict with Iran. Britain deployed Sky Sabre air defense systems, and a US Navy destroyer entered the Persian Gulf. On 12 April Saudi Arabia summoned Iraq's ambassador over drone attacks on the kingdom and other Gulf states that it attributed to actors operating from Iraqi territory.
On 14 April Riyadh was reported to be pressing Washington to drop its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and its plan to restrict Iranian oil exports. Shipping shifted toward the Red Sea: South Korea sent ships to a Saudi Red Sea port to avoid Hormuz, and on 17 April President Lee welcomed the exit of a South Korean tanker from the Red Sea. Reports said the Houthis posed a growing threat there.
A report published on 4 April said Iran's drone attack of 3 March on the US Embassy in Riyadh caused more damage than publicly disclosed; the Guard Corps denied involvement. Inside the country, authorities said they arrested 14,242 undocumented people in one week and seized 29 kg of cocaine at Jeddah port.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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