Saudi Arabia will respond decisively to attacks on its oil facilities and shipping by Iran-aligned groups in Iraq and Yemen, the cabinet said on July 28.

The statement came hours before the defence ministry announced a second consecutive interception of drones launched from Iraqi territory at petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province. Riyadh is being squeezed at both ends of its export system, with the Strait of Hormuz closed and Red Sea transits under Houthi attack, and the cabinet's language moves the kingdom closer to acting beyond its borders.

The session, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, condemned attacks by Iran-backed militias in Yemen and Iraq on oil facilities in the Riyadh and Eastern regions and on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. It said the kingdom would not tolerate threats to its security, national interests and critical infrastructure.

The Saudi response would be made in accordance with international humanitarian law, customary international law and the principle of proportionality, the cabinet said. It called on the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to stop Iraqi territory being used as a launchpad against the kingdom.

Defence ministry spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki later said air defences had intercepted and destroyed several drones aimed at Eastern Province petroleum facilities. The attempts originated once again from Iraqi territory and were carried out by what he described as Iran-backed terrorist militias, he said, adding that Riyadh reserved the right to respond at the appropriate time and place. No casualties or damage were reported and the number of drones was not disclosed.

Drones launched from Iraq at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh were intercepted on July 27.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ordered an investigation. Military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said Iraq would not allow its territory to be used for attacks on neighbouring states and would take legal action against anyone found responsible. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella grouping of Iran-aligned militias that has claimed similar attacks, said Riyadh had fabricated the allegations.

As Newsbase previously reported, Houthi forces separately claimed drone strikes on Saudi crude supply and transport infrastructure in the Eastern Province. Jordan's air force shot down two drones over its territory in the same period.

The cabinet reviewed the crown prince's telephone calls with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, alongside diplomatic efforts to safeguard navigation in the Gulf and the Red Sea. Saudi and Japanese officials met separately on July 28 and called for de-escalation around Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE both reported intercepting Iraq-launched drones in May. A drone attack on the Ras Tanura refinery, the kingdom's largest, on March 2 caused minimal physical damage but halted operations and suspended propane and butane exports for several weeks.

Saudi Arabia has rerouted part of its crude exports through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal since Hormuz closed. Iran's foreign ministry said on July 27 that the strait remains shut.