Saudi downs drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq amid US-Tehran lull
In a statement posted on social media, the Saudi Defence Ministry said the drones were aimed at petroleum facilities in the kingdom’s Eastern Province and the capital, Riyadh.
The announcement came after three consecutive days without reported attacks by either Washington or Tehran, raising cautious hopes that diplomacy may be gaining ground.
The lull follows nearly two weeks of intense exchanges that began after Iran targeted ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting US strikes on Iranian coastal infrastructure and military sites. Iran later retaliated by attacking locations hosting US forces in the region, including bases in Jordan and Iraq.
Mediators push to revive diplomacy
Regional officials familiar with the talks said mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan have made progress in efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table and restore an interim ceasefire arrangement that had largely broken down during the recent violence.
One regional official described the diplomatic efforts as “significant,” saying discussions are now focused on restoring stability while addressing disputes over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global energy supplies.
Although indirect contacts are continuing, Tehran said there are no direct negotiations with Washington.“Mediators may convey messages to us from the American side regarding ongoing developments in the region. But at present, we have no negotiations with the American side,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said.
Baghaei confirmed that Iran and neighbouring Oman had already held discussions on managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The objective is for Iran and Oman, as the two coastal states, to develop mechanisms to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while respecting the sovereign rights and sovereignty of both coastal states, as well as Iran’s security and national interests,” he said, while adding that the waterway remains closed.
On the US side, Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz indicated President Donald Trump was allowing diplomatic efforts to proceed.
“Giving talks some space. He’s giving it a little bit of room,” Waltz said during an interview with Fox News.
Shipping concerns remain
Despite the pause in hostilities, uncertainty continues to weigh on one of the world’s busiest energy corridors. Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level in three weeks, according to a US Navy-linked maritime monitoring body, even though no fresh attacks have been confirmed in the past 72 hours.
The US military said its naval blockade around Iran remains in force, with several commercial vessels redirected, disabled or boarded in recent days, while stressing that American forces remain on high alert.
Meanwhile, concerns have also spread to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened Saudi shipping and attacked at least one Saudi oil tanker last week.
The diplomatic efforts come as the 60-day interim arrangement reached in June enters its final phase, with major disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme still unresolved.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet President Trump in Washington on Tuesday as regional tensions continue to dominate diplomatic discussions.
Iran also condemned Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had struck vessels carrying military cargo linked to Iran in the Caspian Sea.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the attack a violation of international law, while Baghaei accused Ukraine of actions that could further destabilise the region.
(With AP inputs)
