Saudi Arabia in June 2026: the most important developments in security
In June 2026 security news around Saudi Arabia centred on the conflict with Iran and the threat to shipping. Iran was reported to have widened attacks across Lebanon, Kuwait, the Gulf and the Red Sea, and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described strikes on US bases in the Persian Gulf as legitimate self-defense. Analysts said on June 8 that the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, were threatening Red Sea shipping in a way that could matter more for the oil market this time. On the same day loud explosions were heard at Sultan Airbase in Riyadh. On June 27 Saudi Arabia condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, saying they undermined regional stability.
Inside the kingdom, authorities carried out large enforcement sweeps. Saudi Arabia arrested more than 10,700 illegal residents in one week in mid-June and deported nearly 8,000 of them. In another week it arrested more than 15,000 people for residency, labour and border violations. On June 24 Al Arabiya correspondent Mohammed Aydah was killed in an explosion in Mukalla, Yemen.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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