Saudi Arabia joins US strikes as Iran conflict enters a volatile new phase

Saudi Arabia joined US strikes on Iranian-backed sites after fresh regional attacks. The move raises escalation risks as diplomacy stalls and mistrust deepens between Washington and Tehran.Stock photo used for illustrationThe conflict involving the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase, with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military action against Tehran-backed groups, even as efforts to restart diplomacy have stalled again. After several days of relative calm, both sides carried out fresh strikes over the past 24 hours, raising the risk of another wider escalation in the region.The developments come amid deepening mistrust between Washington and Tehran and uncertainty over any path forward. While President Donald Trump and his allies have said in recent days that Iran wants to return to talks, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday that Tehran has made no request in more than two weeks to restart the diplomatic process.After an attack on a US base in Jordan, Trump returned to threats on Wednesday while also leaving open the possibility of talks. "They've already apologised, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit," he told reporters in the Oval Office. He added, "It's our turn, and we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we're going to hit them very hard." The remarks reflected his repeated shifts in recent months between saying a deal was close and warning Tehran to accept US demands.The renewed fighting has also increased the political and military stakes for Trump and his party ahead of the November midterm elections. The conflict has been unpopular with many Americans, has shaken the global economy and has led to more American troops being killed and injured. There are also concerns that the US is using up key air defence systems needed to protect its bases and allies. Iran said it fired ballistic missiles at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, an important US military hub in the region, though Trump said the missiles were intercepted. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, joined the US in striking several logistics and weapons sites used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes came after drone attacks on the kingdom, though a US official said the two incidents were not connected.Drone strikes also set off fires on two natural gas vessels at a port in Egypt, a close US ally and regional mediator that had so far avoided direct military action during the war. If the strike is confirmed to have been carried out by Iran or its allies, it would mark a major widening of the conflict. The US-Saudi strikes took place hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his first meeting with Trump since they launched the war against Iran on February 28. An Israeli official briefed on the White House meeting said Netanyahu assured Trump that it is the US, not Israel, that is "in the driver's seat" with Iran, amid suggestions that the two allies are no longer fully aligned on how to proceed.At the same time, Israeli officials have privately expressed concern that Trump is trying to "keep this war on a low flame" with the midterm elections approaching, according to a person familiar with internal discussions in Netanyahu's government. The person said Israeli officials were increasingly worried about Trump's sensitivity to rising oil prices as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to global energy shipments, as well as growing concern inside the US administration about the rapid use of critical missile interceptors.An analysis released this week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the recent fighting had further reduced the US military's already shrinking stockpiles of Patriot and THAAD interceptors, potentially increasing risks for American troops if hostilities resume. Another US official said Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had told Trump that the state of the munitions stockpile could affect military operations in Iran.On the diplomatic front, the Trump administration does not appear to have a plan to restart negotiations with Iran on ending the conflict. A senior US official said that despite attempts by some mediators to revive talks, the administration is not actively pursuing them at present. The official said the latest developments suggested that any return to direct diplomacy was not near.Analysts said the uncertainty was the result of deep and growing mistrust, especially after an interim ceasefire proposal signed in mid-June collapsed in recent weeks. Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, said senior Iranian officials were almost unanimous in backing that memorandum of understanding with the US. "But now none of them believe that Trump is a reliable negotiating partner," he said. "The problem, I think, is that Trump also has now the same impression about the Iranians."The uneven pattern of talks and military action is not new in US-Iran relations. Negotiations since 1979 have been marked by repeated failures, false starts and military moves that stopped short of the kind of conflict now under way. The 2015 nuclear deal was the first major agreement between the two countries since the 1981 Algiers Accords, but both sides accused each other of breaking past agreements. Relations fell further after Trump withdrew from the 2015 deal in 2018, imposed a "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign and the US killed Iran's top military leader Qassem Soleimani in 2020. With fresh strikes, Saudi Arabia's entry into the fighting and diplomacy at a standstill, the conflict remains volatile on both the military and political fronts.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 30, 2026 03:06 IST