Drones hit Iran's neighbours as Trump pause is tested
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reported drone attacks on Monday, two days after Washington paused a two-week air campaign against Iran. Riyadh blamed Iran-backed militias in Iraq for strikes aimed at petroleum sites, testing the fragile usiran hold-fire as Tehran kept control of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Reuters, the strikes landed as President Donald Trump's abrupt weekend halt appeared to face an early regional stress test. Follow more Streaming & TV Alerts coverage as the pause window unfolds.
Key Takeaways
- Saudi Arabia said it shot down drones aimed at petroleum targets in its eastern province and in Riyadh, blaming Iran-backed militias launching from Iraq.
- Jordan reported downing two drones; Iraqi sources reported drone strikes on camps housing Iranian opposition Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.
- Iran and the United States held fire for a third day, but Tehran said it was not seeking talks and still controlled the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oil prices tumbled on the pause, with Brent falling around 6.5% on Monday to just over $90 a barrel after briefly topping $100 last week.
- Yemen's Houthis claimed separate drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure; Israel said it intercepted two drones near the Jordanian border.
What drone attacks hit Iran's neighbours on Monday?
Saudi Arabia said its forces intercepted drones aimed at petroleum facilities, some in the eastern province and others in the capital, Riyadh. Officials said the drones had been launched from Iraq by Iran-backed militia, and Riyadh reserved the right to respond.
France 24 reported that no group claimed responsibility for the Saudi-bound drones, while Riyadh called on Baghdad to prevent launches from Iraqi territory. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis also said they launched drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure in response to alleged Saudi drone incursions; Riyadh had not commented on that claim at the time of reporting.
Earlier, Jordan reported shooting down two drones. Iraqi security sources reported a series of drone attacks on camps housing Iranian opposition Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. Officials did not identify the sources of those drones. The Israeli military, which has not joined the recent fighting, said it intercepted two drones near the Jordanian border and was investigating where they had been launched from.
Why did Trump pause US strikes on Iran?
Trump halted a campaign of 13 successive nights of intensifying bombing over the weekend with no prior announcement. Fighting had paused since early Saturday after the renewed US strikes, sparked by a breakdown in diplomacy over Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official told Reuters that military commanders advised the president they were running out of targets. Joint Chiefs chairman General Dan Caine had expressed concern over the depletion of air defence munitions, the official said. US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Trump had paused the campaign to allow room for negotiations.
Trump told Axios that mediating countries had asked him to hold fire and said the US was in "very deep talks with Iran." He warned that if they do not work out, Washington would "go back to very strong military action," adding he would not wait long for diplomacy to succeed.
Is Tehran negotiating with Washington right now?
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran had not asked to resume peace talks with the United States. "Reports about Iran requesting negotiations with the U.S. are fabricated," he said. "This is not in our DNA." Messages were still being passed through mediators, he added, but Tehran was not engaged in negotiations.
Iran has said it will pause its own attacks for as long as Trump's self-imposed ceasefire continues. At the same time, Tehran indicated it was still in control of the contested Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said six ships were turned back Monday for sailing outside Iran's designated route.
Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other US officials have described Iran as "begging for a deal," a claim Tehran publicly rejected. Global stock markets rallied as oil tumbled on the lull, offering temporary respite for Gulf shipping—even as drone alerts across Iran's neighbourhood underscored how fragile the pause remains.