Report: Iraqi groups planning new attack on Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television reported late Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that some Iraqi groups are preparing a plan to target Saudi Arabia in the coming hours. No official statement had been issued from Iraqi groups or the Iraqi government in response. The report comes days after Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said on July 27 that air defenses intercepted drones aimed at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and near Riyadh. Al-Maliki said the drones were launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by groups linked to Iran, a claim the Iraqi side has not publicly addressed. The spokesman added that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to defend itself and respond at an appropriate time. A day later, on July 28, al-Maliki announced that additional drones targeting oil facilities in the Eastern Province had been shot down, reiterating the same allegations about their origin. Saudi officials have not publicly identified the Iraqi groups they accuse of involvement. No further details on the alleged new plot were immediately available.