Saudi Arabia said it had helped Israel, the US, Jordan, the UK, and France fight off an attack from Iran. These countries had just formed a new military coalition in the area. In a military defense operation, Saudi Arabia helped destroy 99% of Iran’s drones and missiles before they could reach their targets. For many of the missiles and drones to reach Israel, they had to cross Saudi and Jordanian airspace.
Iran and Saudi Arabia Compete for Middle East Power
They have been competing for power in the Middle East for ten years, affecting almost every issue. A direct war between the two powers that could include the US has made people afraid and broken up international alliances. Wars are still going on in other parts of the region. Recently, both sides agreed to start talking to each other again diplomatically. This is a step toward less conflict in the Middle East. The goal here is to avoid a fight.
But the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the ongoing war in Gaza show that American and regional powers can’t just wish the conflict between Israel and Palestine away. A bigger power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran was linked to this conflict and many others in the area. Leaders who worked with Saudi Arabia were willing to keep quiet about the Palestinian issue if Israel would help them keep Iran in check. And in the last few months of Trump’s presidency, Israel signed deals to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. These deals made public a change in strategy that had been a secret in the region until that point.
Gulf States Provided Intelligence On Iran Attack
It was already known that Jordan helped shoot down drones that were heading to Israel through its airspace. People didn’t know that other countries in the area, even ones that don’t have diplomatic ties with Israel, also took part.
A big reason why so many drones and missiles were stopped was that Arab countries told others about Iran’s plans and let them use their airspace and radar to track them. I can tell that Jordan wasn’t the only Arab country that “sent their forces to help” stop the threats.
Israel-Saudi Normalization Before October 7
Before Hamas’s invasion on October 7, the US was working hard to reach a deal with all three sides. This deal would have had a strategic pact between Riyadh and Washington against Iran, a deal to make things better between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and a new way for the Palestinians to get their own country.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia recently admitted that it helped Israel defend itself against an attack by Iran. This is a big change in the way Middle Eastern countries relate to each other. Dealing with threats that affect both Saudi Arabia and Israel together as part of a larger regional coalition shows that Saudi Arabia is being practical. Two countries that have had bad feelings toward each other in the past might get along better now that they have this new information. This is because both countries want to keep themselves safe and stop Iran from having too much power in the region.
