Page 3 - Saudi Arabia

US sees first combat loss of valuable E-3 AWACS jet after Iranian strike

The so-called AWACS plane, which has a rotating radar disc mounted above its fuselage, is used to spot distant threats and direct other combat aircraft

Regional powers' huddle in Pakistan to de-escalate West Asia conflict

Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye and Pakistan held consultations on the West Asia conflict in Islamabad on Sunday to find a way to de-escalate the ongoing war that has unsettled the region and caused severe global economic disruptions. The foreign ministers discussed the evolving regional situation and exchanged views on security issues while exploring options for broader peace in the region, an official said. The talks were held amidst a delay in the direct talks between the US and Iran. No statement was issued after the meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, while their Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, reached here on Sunday at the invitation of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The two-day quadrilateral summit is Pakistan's attempt to broker peace in West Asia. After the meeting, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farh

PM Modi speaks to Saudi Prince, stresses need to keep shipping routes open

PM Modi stressed the need to keep shipping routes open and ensure freedom of navigation amid rising tensions in West Asia that have sent energy prices soaring

Iran strikes on US base in Saudi injure 10 troops, damage several planes

An Iranian missile attack Friday left at least 10 American service members wounded and damaged several planes at a military base in Saudi Arabia, according to two US officials familiar with the situation. Two of the troops were seriously wounded, one of the officials said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. The attack on Prince Sultan Air Base damaged several US refuelling aircraft, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. One of the officials said two of the troops were seriously wounded. Satellite imagery that appeared to show the damage to the aircraft was posted online. The attack, which involved an Iranian missile as well as unmanned drones, comes a day after President Donald Trump said Iran has been "obliterated" and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that "never in recorded history has a nation's military been so quickly and so effectively neutralised." US Central Comma

'Time for Saudi Arabia, Israel to normalise ties once Iran war ends': Trump

President Donald Trump said Friday that it will be time for Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise ties after the war in Iran wraps up. "It's now time," Trump said at a Miami event sponsored by a Saudi sovereign wealth fund. "We've now taken them out, and they are out bigly. We got to get into the Abraham Accords." Trump has been pressing Israel and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest powers in the Middle East, for years to normalize ties as part of his Abraham Accords efforts. Significant headwinds remain, including Saudi Arabia's insistence that there needs to be a credible path to a Palestinian state before it normalizes commercial and diplomatic ties with Israel.

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia sign deal on defence cooperation, says Zelenskyy

Zelenskiy said the framework agreement was signed ahead of a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Shehbaz Sharif briefs Saudi Prince as Pak pushes to mediate US-Iran talks

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman about Islamabad's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the tenuous West Asia situation. The prime minister said in a statement on X that he spoke with the crown prince and discussed the regional situation in addition to exchanging traditional Eid greetings. The call comes a day after Sharif offered to host talks between the US and Iran for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict. Sharif said that during the call, he appreciated the Kingdom's restraint and, "I stressed the urgent need for de-escalation, an end to hostilities, and unity in the ranks of the Ummah". "I also briefed His Royal Highness on Pakistan's diplomatic outreach efforts for regional peace and stability. We agreed to remain in close coordination," he said. Sharif also reiterated Pakistan's strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the Kingdom and reaffirmed Islamabad's unwavering solidarity and unequivocal

Saudi Prince is said to push Trump to continue Iran war in recent calls

Prince Mohammed, the people familiar with the discussions said, has argued that Iran poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated by getting rid of the government

World Economic Forum postpones meet in Saudi Arabia amid West Asia conflict

The WEF said its decision "reflects a commitment to convening the meeting under conditions that ensure its full strategic impact," adding that it will provide a new date in due course

Saudi Arabia, UAE take steps toward joining Iran war amid escalation

Saudi Arabia agreed to give the US military access to King Fahd Air Base, an apparent reversal after saying its bases couldn't be used to attack its longtime rival

India's LPG supply shortage shows no sign of easing as new route opens

On the positive side, a new route, bypassing Hormuz, opened for India's LPG supplies from Saudi Arabia. But there is a supply shortage for March and a much bigger one for April as of date

Macron calls for halt to energy facility attacks in talks with Saudi prince

Macron stressed the need for Iran to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz

Watch: Saudi Arabia warns Iran of military retaliation | US-Iran war | Crude oil | Strait of Hormuz

Watch: Saudi Arabia warns Iran of military retaliation | US-Iran war | Crude oil | Strait of Hormuz

West Asia war: Saudi FM warns patience with Iranian attacks 'not unlimited'

Saudi FM Prince Faisal said Iran 'does not engage with its neighbours through dialogue' but instead seeks to pressure them, adding such tactics would fail

Iran threatens to hit energy assets in Gulf after attack on South Pars

Iran's state television published a threat Wednesday, saying that the Islamic Republic would be attacking oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The threat resembled other attack warnings put out by Iran during the war, copying the style used by the Israeli military. Iran specifically threatened Saudi Arabia's Samref Refinery and its Jubail Petrochemical Complex. It also threatened the UAE's Al Hasan Gas Field and the petrochemical plants and a refinery in the Qatar. It comes after Iran said its South Pars gas field and associated infrastructure came under attack earlier Wednesday.

Oil tanker reaches India: Vessel ‘Shenlong’ carrying Saudi crude enters India via Strait of Hormuz

An Indian-captained crude oil tanker carrying 135,335 metric tonnes of Saudi crude reached Mumbai after briefly switching off its tracking system to cross the Strait of Hormuz in dark mode.

Saudi Arabia to host Arab, Islamic ministers for regional stability talks

This consultative session is set to focus specifically on "consultation and coordination regarding ways to support the security and stability of the region

Trump warned of likely Iran retaliation on Gulf allies despite his claim

Trump had said twice on Monday that Iran's retaliatory strikes against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait were a surprise

Saudi offers Red Sea route for oil buyers as Hormuz crisis persists

Saudis have a 5 million barrel-a-day pipeline that runs across the country to the Red Sea, although export capacity at Yanbu may be smaller than that

West Asia crisis: Jaishankar speaks to Saudi, UAE foreign ministers

Against the backdrop of spiralling hostilities between Iran and the US, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) focusing on various aspects of the evolving situation in West Asia. Jaishankar held the phone conversations with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Saturday night. "Discussed ongoing developments related to the conflict in West Asia," the external affairs minister said on social media on Sunday about his talks with the Saudi foreign minister. On his conversation with Zayed Al Nahyan, Jaishankar said: "Exchanged views on various aspects of the regional situation." It is learnt that India's energy security figured in Jaishankar's conversations with both foreign ministers. Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, th