Saudi Arabia says report it helped Israel in defense against Iran is fake

Saudi Arabia refuted reports saying it aided in defending Israel against Iranian airstrikes on Saturday, April 13. Initially circulated by public broadcaster Kan and an allegedly fake website, the report is now being denied by Riyadh.

According to informed sources, no official Saudi websites have made such statements. The country stated that it did not intercept drones or missiles launched by Tehran.

Amid the conflict in the region, some Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) find themselves in a precarious position. While they have lent intelligence to Israel’s military, they have stopped short of allowing the U.S. and Israel to use their airspaces for military operations. This situation highlights the delicate balance in maintaining relationships with Iran, the United States and Israel as regional tensions grow.

Other countries in the Middle East have been clearer in picking a side between Iran and Israel. Jordan has reportedly been intercepting missiles entering its airspace and opened its airspace to Israeli and U.S. fighter jets during the conflict.

Iran has stated it will not target the U.S. with military action and Washington, D.C., has said it will not participate in a possible counterattack by Israel.

In recent years, both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have become closer with the United States and Israel, despite maintaining a relationship with Iran.

Before Israel’s conflict in Gaza, the Saudis were working on a deal to recognize Israel in exchange for security commitments from the United States and assistance with its nuclear program. However, Israel’s war against Hamas has put talks with the United States and Saudi Arabia on hold.