Saudi Arabia secretly participated in intercepting Iranian drones during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, according to Gulf sources cited by Yisrael Hayom. The Saudi air force reportedly scrambled helicopters to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles crossing regional airspace over Iraq and Jordan, halting their advance before they could reach Israel. While Riyadh has not publicly confirmed its involvement — and even condemned Israel’s strikes against Iran — the revelations point to a dramatic realignment in the Middle East, where Sunni powers increasingly see Iran as a shared threat worth countering, even if unofficially. Saudi Arabia’s air force, built on advanced U.S.-supplied systems, was bolstered by a major arms deal signed with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during Donald Trump’s first term and expanded during Trump’s most recent regional tour. Officials stressed, however, that Saudi airspace would not be opened for offensive strikes on Iranian territory. The drone war was part of a vast multinational operation involving Jordan, Britain, France, and the United States, coordinated under the umbrella of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Over 1,000 Iranian drones were launched toward Israel during the conflict, the majority intercepted far from Israeli borders thanks to a network of partners working in close cooperation. At the heart of that coordination stood CENTCOM commander Gen. Mike Kurilla, who oversaw a joint American command-and-control center linking the U.S., Israel, and European militaries in real time. Years of joint training exercises and intelligence-sharing paved the way for this rapid, integrated response, military sources said. Jordan publicly acknowledged its role in intercepting drones, noting that some fell on its soil and caused damage. France described its participation as defending its interests in Jordan, though avoided directly referencing Israel. Analysts say the unprecedented level of cooperation — including with countries that have no formal ties to Israel — could lay the groundwork for even broader regional realignments, possibly tied to President Trump’s proposed “mega-deal” aimed at reshaping Middle East alliances. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)