BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 9. Iran has carried out
a large-scale drone assault targeting Saudi Arabia, Trend reports.


The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported that several drones were
intercepted and neutralized by the country’s air defense systems in
the Al Jawf Province, including the area around the Shaybah oil
field.


On February 26, the 3rd round of talks between Iran and the
United States regarding Iran’s nuclear program took place in
Geneva. Conducted under the administration of US President Donald
Trump, the meeting was seen as the last opportunity to resolve the
escalating situation through diplomatic channels. However, no
concrete agreements were reached.


Two days later, on February 28, the United States and Israel
launched a coordinated military campaign targeting Iran’s
strategically significant military facilities and key state
leadership. Israel named the operation “Operation Lion’s Roar,”
while the United States called it “Operation Epic Fury.” The
strikes covered broad swaths of Iran, including major cities such
as Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Qom.


In retaliation, Iran initiated “Operation True Promise 4,”
striking back at Israel and US military bases across the region,
including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iraq, using ballistic
missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).


The February 28 airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and his family. Senior officials,
including the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Army, Major General
Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Mohammad Pakpour, the Supreme
Leader’s advisor and Secretary of the Defense Council, Ali
Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, were also
killed.


From March 1 through 5, the conflict escalated further, drawing
in multiple countries across the Middle East. Iran launched
hundreds of missiles and UAVs, while the United States and Israel
targeted additional military sites within Iran. According to US
Central Command, Iran deployed approximately 500 ballistic missiles
and 2,000 UAVs in the initial days of the confrontation.







The conflict extended to the naval domain on March 4, when a US
Navy nuclear submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in
the Indian Ocean, signaling a new phase of hostilities at sea.


On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts unanimously elected
Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, as the
country’s third Supreme Leader.


Recent reports indicate that at least seven U.S. service members
were killed and several others injured in Iranian strikes on US and
allied facilities. Six fatalities occurred in a drone attack on a
US base in Kuwait, and one service member succumbed to injuries
sustained in Saudi Arabia.


The ongoing conflict has significantly threatened the region’s
energy infrastructure and maritime transport. Oil prices have
surged on global markets due to heightened security tensions around
the Strait of Hormuz, prompting several countries to advise their
citizens to leave the region.


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