The Saudi army has raised its combat alert level to maximum after Iranian strikes on the country. Riyadh has threatened to retaliate in the event of a "coordinated" attack on oil infrastructure, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
Tensions escalated after an attack on the large Ras Tanura refinery, run by state oil giant "Saudi Aramco". The Saudi Energy Ministry said the facility was targeted by two drones that were intercepted, with some operations at the refinery temporarily suspended as a precaution.
Iranian missiles aimed at an air base near the capital Riyadh were also intercepted.
"The Saudi military has raised its alert level to maximum," a source close to the military said. According to a government official, Riyadh will for now "watch and wait" but may strike Iranian oil facilities if Tehran launches a targeted attack on "Aramco".
In Oman, an Indian national was killed in an attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Muscat. According to the Oman Maritime Security Center, the Marshall Islands-flagged ship was attacked by a naval drone, causing a fire and explosion in the engine room.
In Bahrain, a ship was hit by "projectiles of unknown origin" in a port, causing a fire without casualties. The crew was evacuated safely.
Most of Saudi Arabia's oil production infrastructure, which is the world's largest oil exporter, is located on the eastern coast of the Persian Gulf, directly opposite Iran, making the region particularly vulnerable to an escalation of the conflict. The kingdom warned that it reserves the right to defend itself.
The Qatari air force shot down two Iranian bombers, the Qatari Ministry of Defense said in a statement quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
"The Qatari air force successfully shot down two Iranian Su-24 aircraft. It also intercepted seven ballistic missiles through air defenses and five drones that were launched today against several areas of the country," the Qatari ministry said.