Saudi Arabia vows firm response to attacks on oil facilities and shipping

Dubai: Saudi Arabia's Cabinet on Tuesday declared that the Kingdom would not tolerate threats to its security, national interests or critical infrastructure, condemning attacks by Iran-backed militias in Yemen and Iraq on oil facilities in the Riyadh and Eastern regions and on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

In a session chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, the Cabinet said Saudi Arabia would respond decisively to hostile acts in accordance with international humanitarian law, customary international law and the principle of proportionality.

It also urged the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for attacks against the Kingdom.

The Cabinet reviewed the Crown Prince's recent telephone conversations with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, alongside Saudi Arabia's diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions, safeguard navigation in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, and support regional stability.

Reaffirming the Kingdom's commitment to dialogue and diplomacy, the Cabinet stressed the importance of respecting state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, good-neighbourly relations, freedom of navigation and adherence to international law.