A Saudi source has rejected a report by The New York Times that claimed the Kingdom’s leadership is encouraging a prolonged war with Iran. The source told an international media outlet on Monday that the report is false and does not reflect Saudi Arabia’s position.
The report by The New York Times on Sunday claimed that Mohammed bin Salman had advised Donald Trump to “keep hitting the Iranians hard.” However, the Saudi source strongly denied the claim and said the Kingdom does not support any prolonged conflict with Iran.
Earlier this month, the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C., also rejected a report by The Washington Post, which claimed that Saudi Arabia had privately urged the US to strike Iran.
Saudi Arabia rejected NYT’s claims
Saudi officials said the Kingdom has instead worked with Gulf countries to avoid a military confrontation in the region. They also publicly stated that Saudi Arabia will not take part in any possible war with Iran.
Saudi Arabia intercepted 60 drones
Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Defence announced that Saudi forces intercepted more than 60 drones that were launched toward the Kingdom overnight. The ministry said air defence systems destroyed several drones over Riyadh and the Eastern Region.
According to ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki, defence forces intercepted and destroyed 34 drones in the Eastern Region within two hours, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
New app to report suspicious aerial objects
On Sunday, the defence ministry also launched a new service through the Tawakkalna application. The service allows citizens and residents to report suspicious aerial objects such as drones or missiles.
Officials said the system will help authorities receive reports quickly and respond faster to protect the country and its resources.
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