TEHRAN: Officials in Iran have accused Israel of carrying out drone attacks on energy and civilian facilities in Gulf countries, claiming the strikes were intended to escalate tensions and draw Arab states into a wider conflict involving the United States.
According to reports cited by TRT World, an Iranian Foreign Ministry official said some recent attacks in the region were not conducted by Iran. The official alleged that Israel was responsible for strikes in Saudi Arabia and at least one incident in Oman, though specific details were not disclosed.
The remarks followed several drone and missile attacks on Saudi facilities, including the Ras Tanura Oil Refinery and an area near the US embassy in Riyadh. Two additional strikes reportedly targeted Duqm Port in Oman, an important logistics hub that has provided naval access to the United States since 2019.
Iranian sources told Middle East Eye that the operations may have been conducted by Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, using networks of agents operating inside Iran. They described the alleged actions as an attempt to destabilize relations among neighboring countries and provoke a broader regional conflict.
Iranian officials also reportedly informed Saudi authorities that Tehran was not responsible for the attack on Ras Tanura, reiterating claims that the incident was part of a strategy to undermine regional cooperation.
Separately, Sky News reported that a drone resembling Iran’s Shahed model targeted a British air base in Cyprus, but officials from the UK Ministry of Defence said it had not been launched from Iran.
Meanwhile, several explosions were heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar, after authorities evacuated residents living near the US embassy. Journalists reported seeing thick smoke rising over the city following some of the most intense blasts since the conflict began.
The attacks came shortly after Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani criticized Iran during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, accusing Tehran of attempting to drag neighboring countries into a broader war.
Explosions were also reported in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, while authorities in Saudi Arabia said they intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones outside the city of Al-Kharj.
In another incident, the British maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a tanker was struck by a major explosion in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill.
