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Saudi Arabia and UAE refused to open airspace to Israeli and US aircraft during Iran attack

April 17, 2024 at 11:30 am

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in New Delhi on September 9, 2023 [EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

Saudi Arabia and the UAE refused to open their airspace to Israeli and American aircraft as they sought to intercept missiles and drones launched by Iran last Saturday against the occupation state.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Arab officials noted that the two Gulf countries did, however, exchange intelligence with the US and Israel, which contributed to their success in repelling the Iranian attack. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have tried to remain neutral regarding the raging conflict in the Middle East, the newspaper claimed.

Jordan, meanwhile, announced that its armed forces intercepted “flying objects” that entered the country’s airspace on Saturday night to ensure the safety of its citizens and residential areas. During its session on Sunday, the Jordanian cabinet reiterated and affirmed that anything posing a threat to the kingdom’s security will be intercepted, whether by air or by land.

Iran launched its attack on Israel in response to the occupation state’s missile attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus on 1 April which killed a number of senior military advisers.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured his colleagues in the ruling Likud Party that the country will respond to the unprecedented Iranian attack wisely, and not just based on emotions.

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