ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that it had intercepted 33 drones from Iran, including four in the country's east.

In a post on US social media company X, the Saudi Defense Ministry said that drones targeted the Eastern Province, Prince Sultan Air Base, and the Shaybah oil field.

The attacks came as regional escalation has continued to flare up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people and injuring over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.