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Drones During U.S. Pause
Saudi Arabia reported that it intercepted and destroyed several drones launched toward oil installations in its Eastern Province and targets in the capital, Riyadh, and said the attacks originated from Iraqi territory and were carried out by Iran-backed militias.
The NewsNation report said the incidents came just two days after the United States halted its two-week campaign of air strikes against Iran, while neither the U.S. nor Iran reported carrying out any attacks for three days.
NewsNation also said the U.S. pause followed about two weeks of sustained bombardments and that mediators were trying to bring the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table to prevent a wider conflict.
In parallel, NewsNation reported that Jordan’s military said it shot down two drones and that Iraqi security sources reported a series of drone attacks on camps housing Iranian opposition Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.
The NewsNation account added that there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.
Mediation and Messages
NewsNation said Middle Eastern mediators made progress in efforts to bring the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table, with Qatar and Pakistan leading mediation efforts to restore an interim ceasefire deal that unraveled during the recent exchange of attacks.
The report said Qatar and Pakistan were working with Iran and Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which it described as the flashpoint that triggered the latest escalation.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NewsNation that mediators continue to pass messages between Washington and Tehran but confirmed there are no direct negotiations with the U.S., and he said Iran and Oman held multiple rounds of talks over the weekend.
Baghaei also stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and NewsNation reported that commercial shipping through the strait remains at a three-week low according to a U.S. Navy-linked maritime monitoring group.
In the same NewsNation account, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, according to his office.
Saudi Threats and Regional Fallout
Ynetnews reported that Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called an act of aggression and said the kingdom retained the right to defend itself, protect its assets and respond “at the appropriate time and place.”
Ynetnews also said the Saudi announcement came hours after the IDF intercepted two drones near the Jordanian border before they crossed into Israeli territory, and Jordan later said it had intercepted two drones over its territory.
The NewsNation report said Iran’s recent retaliation included attacks on countries hosting U.S. forces, killing at least four American service members in Jordan and Iraq.
In response to the drone attacks, NewsNation described Saudi officials blaming Iran-backed militias in Iraq for launching the drones and said Saudi Arabia reserves the right to respond.
Ynetnews added that the Iran-U.S. pause entered its third consecutive day Monday, while negotiations remained underway and mediators sought to restore the ceasefire outlined in a June memorandum of understanding.
