Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned Thursday that the Kingdom’s restraint in the face of escalating Iranian attacks “is not unlimited”, signalling that military action remains an option, as Iranian forces hit Saudi and Kuwaiti oil refineries.
“The Kingdom and its partners possess significant capabilities, and the patience we have shown is not unlimited. It could be a day, two days, or a week — I will not say,” the Saudi FM told reporters following an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh.
In some of his strongest remarks since the conflict began, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia “reserves the right to take military action if deemed necessary,” warning that continued Iranian escalation would carry political and moral consequences.
He added that the “little trust” rebuilt with Tehran after the 2023 restoration of diplomatic ties “has been completely shattered,” and cautioned that further attacks could leave “almost nothing” to salvage in the relationship.
Since February 28, Iran has launched waves of missiles and armed drones targeting Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf states — including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar — in what Tehran says is retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on targets inside Iran.
The conflict intensified on Wednesday after Iran accused Israel of striking facilities at the South Pars gas field and vowed to target energy infrastructure across the Gulf. Authorities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE reported attacks on oil and gas facilities the same day.
In the Saudi capital, air defences intercepted four ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh, according to the Ministry of Defence. Debris from intercepted projectiles fell near a refinery south of the city, while residents reported hearing explosions and receiving emergency alerts — marking a rare moment when the conflict was directly felt in the capital.
“Prepared in advance”
Prince Faisal said the strikes appeared to have been “prepared in advance” and accused Iran of carrying out “premeditated hostile actions” against its neighbours, both directly and through regional proxies.
He also confirmed that two Saudi oil refineries were targeted, contradicting earlier claims by Iran’s ambassador that strikes were limited to US assets.
“Iran has not dealt with its neighbours in the spirit of brotherhood, but with a hostile view,” he said, adding that Gulf states had repeatedly urged Tehran to halt support for armed groups and ensure the security of maritime navigation.
Despite the escalation, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia still prefers diplomacy, but warned that continued attacks could close the door to de-escalation.
Iran hits Saudi, Kuwaiti oil refineries
Drones struck a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea and caused fires at two others in Kuwait as Iran stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said a drone crashed into the Samref refinery in the industrial zone of the Red Sea port of Yanbu, adding that damage assessment was underway.
Yanbu is the destination of Petroline, the overland oil pipeline that gives Saudi exports an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz -- currently choked off by Iran.
Thursday's attacks follow major damage at the world's biggest gas hub, Qatar's Ras Laffan, on Wednesday as Iran retaliated for Israeli strikes on its South Pars gas field.
In Kuwait, drone attacks sparked blazes at the Mina Abdullah and Mina Al-Ahmadi refineries, which have a combined capacity of 800,000 barrels per day.
The state Kuwait National Petroleum Company later said the fires were contained.
Saudi Arabia's Samref refinery can process about 400,000 barrels of crude per day.
Brent oil price soars 10%
Oil prices extended gains on Thursday after strikes against energy infrastructure in the Middle East raised further concerns over supply.
Brent North Sea crude jumped more than 10 percent to $119.13 a barrel, while the main US oil contract West Texas Intermediate rose 2.6 percent to $98.81 a barrel.
Iranian missiles have struck the world's largest liquefied natural gas hub in Qatar, while drones hit oil refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Iran targets Gulf energy sites
Iran targeted energy facilities across the Gulf and threatened further destructive attacks after a key gas field was hit, raising fears Thursday of a wider assault on fuel supplies that could jolt already rattled global markets.
The warning came after Israel killed the Islamic republic's intelligence chief Esmail Khatib, the latest in a string of strikes that have decimated its leadership since the war began nearly three weeks ago.
Tehran, following a strike on its South Pars field, said it would respond forcefully to any further attacks on its energy sector. "We warn you once again that you made a big mistake in attacking the energy infrastructure of the Islamic republic," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Iranian media.
"If it is repeated again, further attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed."
The Israeli military did not comment on the South Pars attack, while US officials said Washington was aware but not involved.
Iran's threat of further retaliation came after Qatar's state energy company said a missile strike sparked a fire causing "extensive damage" at its main gas facility -- the world's largest -- prompting Doha to expel two Iranian diplomats.
Oil prices, already elevated by the near-total disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, surged again -- with the main US benchmark for crude adding more than three percent on Thursday.
- 'Cowardly assassination' -
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken to his US counterpart Donald Trump and the Emir of Qatar, and called for a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure.
"Civilian populations and their essential needs, as well as the security of energy supplies, must be preserved from military escalation," he posted on social media.
The killing of Khatib followed the death of security chief Ali Larijani, as Israel presses a campaign to eliminate senior Iranian officials.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned Khatib's killing as a "cowardly assassination", while the country's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed retaliation. "Every drop of spilled blood comes at a price," he said in a written message.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since taking power after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in the opening strikes of the war.
Local authorities said Larijani would be buried at a shrine popular with pilgrims in the city of Qom.
- Trump threatens Iran gas field -
US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran's key South Pars gas field if there were further attacks against Qatar's main gas plant.
Trump confirmed on his Truth Social platform that Israel had struck the South Pars field but said the US "knew nothing" of the attack, which spurred Iran to launch an attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan facility.
- European gas prices jump -
European gas prices soared up to 35 percent as fresh strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Middle East, including Qatar's main gas facility.
The Dutch TTF natural gas contract, considered the European benchmark, jumped to 74 euros, before paring gains slightly.
- Two deaths in Iraq -
The former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi in northern Iraq said two of its fighters were killed in the Nineveh region, where Mosul is located, and an airport in Salah al-Din province targeted in two strikes.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces blamed the attack on Israel and the United States.
- Iran executions -
Iran executed three people convicted of killing police officers and carrying out operations in favour of the United States and Israel during unrest earlier this year, the judiciary said.
- Qatar contains gas hub fires -
Qatari civil defence teams have contained fires that erupted at a major gas facility following an Iranian attack, the interior ministry said.
"Civil Defence has fully brought all fires under control in the Ras Laffan Industrial Area without any reported injuries. Cooling and sites-securing operations are still ongoing," it said.
Earlier Thursday, Iranian state television said that a missile had struck the gas plant, hours after it was hit in a destructive strike.
Qatar's state-run energy firm said the strikes hit several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities and caused "extensive" damage.
- 'Largely degraded' -
In Washington, US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard told Congress the Iranian government remained "intact but largely degraded", while also acknowledging Tehran had not resumed nuclear enrichment.
Israel has pursued a strategy of targeting senior Iranian and allied leaders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in 2024 and top Hamas figures since the Gaza war began.
Despite the losses, Iran has continued to strike back.
An Iranian missile barrage killed a man described as a "foreign worker" in central Israel, emergency workers said, bringing the death toll in the country to 15.
Strikes also hit multiple sites overnight, while Iranian media reported fresh bombardment across several regions, including Tehran.
- Trump vows to destroy Iran gas field -
US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran's key South Pars gas field if there were further attacks against Qatar's main gas plant.
Trump confirmed on his Truth Social platform that Israel had struck the South Pars field but said the US "knew nothing" of the attack, which spurred Iran to strike Qatar's Ras Laffan facility.
Iranian state television said that a missile struck Qatar's main gas plant, hours after it was hit in a destructive strike.
Qatar's state-run energy firm said the strikes on the gas hub hit several of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities and caused "extensive" damage.
Earlier Thursday, Qatar's defence ministry said an Iranian missile attack caused damage at the gas hub.
- UAE closes gas facility -
Abu Dhabi has shut down operations at a gas facility due to falling debris from missile interceptions, the Emirati capital's media office said.
- Projectile hits vessel near Hormuz Strait -
A projectile has hit a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire, a British maritime security agency said.
- Iraqi group conditionally halts US embassy attacks -
Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah, an influential pro-Iran armed group, said it was halting attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad for five days, pending certain conditions.
The group notably demanded Israel stop bombing Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Lebanon's Hezbollah, and that US-Israeli operations not target residential areas in Iraq.
- 3 die in West Bank by missile debris -
Three Palestinian women were killed in the occupied West Bank by falling shrapnel, emergency responders said, shortly after Israel's military reported another Iranian missile barrage.
Several others were injured in the attack near Hebron, including a woman who was in critical condition after initially being reported as dead, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
It marks the first reported Palestinian deaths of the ongoing Middle East War.
- Kuwait arrests Hezbollah members -
Kuwait arrested 10 militants affiliated with the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group on Wednesday, who were accused of plotting "terrorist" actions against vital infrastructure, the interior ministry said.
- US bank raises inflation outlook -
The US Federal Reserve raised its outlook for inflation as it held interest rates steady, citing an "uncertain" economic outlook due to the war.
- Israel vows to keep up strikes -
The Israeli military vowed to continue targeting senior Iranian officials, after announcing it had killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
"We will continue to hunt down all of the regime's senior officials. The series of eliminations will not stop," a military spokesman said in a televised briefing.–Agencies