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WASHINGTON, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday expressed surprise at Iran’s retaliatory attacks on several Gulf countries amid the ongoing regional conflict. Asked by reporters whether he was surprised that Iran targeted neighboring states, Trump said experts had not expected such strikes. “No, the greatest experts — nobody thought they were going to hit. They were, I wouldn’t say friendly countries. They were like neutral. The

Citi Bank logo appears in this illustration taken December 1, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic DUBAI, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Citigroup said on Monday it will keep most of its branches and offices in the United Arab Emirates closed until further notice after temporarily shutting them last week amid the ongoing regional conflict. The bank said client-facing operations in the UAE remain suspended while services continue through digital channels. Citigroup directed

SPA RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed 34 drones in multiple incidents on Monday evening targeting the Eastern Province and Al-Kharj Governorate, the Ministry of Defense said. Defense ministry spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said eight drones were intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Province. In a separate incident, seven drones were intercepted and destroyed in the same region later in t

Livery of British Airways passenger planes are seen at Heathrow Airport in west London, Britain, January 28, 2025. REUTERS LONDON, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – British Airways said on Monday it would extend temporary reductions to its flight schedules across the Middle East as regional tensions and airspace instability continue to disrupt aviation operations. The airline said last week it had cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and T

SABN BAGHDAD, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – A drone struck a hotel inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Monday, Iraqi security officials said. Two Iraqi security officials said the strike hit the top floor of the Rasheed Hotel, which hosts diplomatic delegations and international organizations. The officials said the attack caused damage but no casualties were reported. Security forces sealed off the area following the strike. No group immediately

SABN DOHA, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday that its air defense systems intercepted drones and 13 missiles, while one missile landed in an uninhabited area. The ministry did not specify the number of drones intercepted. No casualties were reported, authorities said.

SABN ABU DHABI, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – A fire broke out at the Shah oil field in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening after a drone strike, authorities said, adding that no casualties were reported. The incident was confirmed by Abu Dhabi’s media office, which said the drone hit the oil field, triggering the fire. The attack marks the second incident targeting oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates on Monday. Earlier in the day, a fire broke out in the Fujai

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he does not believe Israel would use a nuclear weapon in the ongoing war with Iran. “Israel wouldn’t do that. Israel would never do that,” Trump told reporters at the White House. His remarks came after comments by David Sacks, the White House artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency adviser, who said in a recent interview that there were concerns about the possibility

SPA RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday that 11 drones were intercepted and destroyed in Al-Kharj Governorate over the past few hours. Defense ministry spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the drones were neutralized by the Kingdom’s air defense systems. Authorities did not immediately provide further details on the origin of the drones or possible damage. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it is tak

BUCHAREST, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Romania said on Monday it is not a party to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, after Tehran suggested that allowing the United States to use Romanian airbases could amount to participation in military action. Romania’s foreign ministry said in a statement that a bilateral access agreement signed with the United States in 2006 provides the legal framework for U.S. forces to use military bases in Romania. “Romania is no

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech during the graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy of Japan in Yokosuka, Japan, on Saturday. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images TOKYO, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Japan is not currently planning to dispatch naval vessels to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on allies to send ships to the region. “We have not ye

SPA Saudi Arabia Says 39 Drones Intercepted in Eastern Province Within About an Hour Early Monday RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed 39 drones launched toward the Eastern Province in a series of incidents within about an hour early Monday, the Ministry of Defense said. The ministry’s official spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, said the drones were intercepted and destroyed in six separate incid

SPA RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, held a phone call with United Arab Emirates President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss regional developments amid escalating military actions. During the call, the two leaders reviewed the situation in the region and its potential implications for regional and internation

SPA RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said early Monday that air defenses intercepted and destroyed 18 drones launched toward the Eastern Province. The ministry’s official spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, said seven drones were intercepted and destroyed in the region in the first incident. In two subsequent incidents shortly afterward, air defenses intercepted and destroyed six drones and five drones respectiv

WAM RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi praised the readiness and professionalism of the armed forces of the GCC states in responding to Iranian attacks targeting the Gulf region. Albudaiwi made the remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the Unified Military Command of the GCC states in Riyadh, where he addressed personnel serving within the joint command structure. He said the perform

RIYADH, March 16, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Bahrain said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 125 ballistic missiles and 212 drones that targeted the kingdom since the start of Iranian attacks. The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force said the interceptions were carried out by the kingdom’s air defense systems, according to a statement carried by the Bahrain News Agency. The military said the use of ballistic missiles and drones to target civili

spa RIYADH, March 15, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a series of phone calls on Sunday with foreign ministers from Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar to discuss developments in the region and their implications for regional and international security. During a call with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, the two sides discussed th

UK energy secretary Ed Miliband arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London on February 3, 2026. Lucy North/AP Riyadh, March 15, 2026 (SABN) - British energy secretary Ed Miliband said on Sunday that the United Kingdom was exploring “any options” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the vital shipping route. “It’s a priority for the world that the strait is reopened. Obviously the best and simplest way to do that is to de-escalate the conflict,” Miliband

Riyadh, March 15, 2026 (SABN) - Aluminium Bahrain, known as Alba, said on Sunday it had begun shutting down three aluminium smelting lines representing 19% of its capacity to preserve business continuity amid ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The move marks the latest impact on the Middle East aluminium sector, which accounts for about 9% of global supply, from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Alba, which has aluminium smelting capacity of 1.62 million tonnes per year,

Riyadh, March 14 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps urged the United States on Saturday to move its industries out of the region and warned that facilities linked to American companies could become targets, as tensions rose after U.S. strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island. Reuters reported that the Revolutionary Guard had called on the United States to move industries out of the Middle East, while Iranian warnings also expanded to sites connected