RIYADH: Saudi Arabia intercepted three drones headed towards the Shaybah oil field on Thursday, as Iran targeted various oil facilities across the Gulf region to disrupt global energy markets.
The Gulf kingdom’s defence ministry said an “unmanned aerial vehicle heading towards the Shaybah field… was intercepted and destroyed”.
المتحدث الرسمي لـ #وزارة_الدفاع: اعتراض وتدمير مسيّرة في الربع الخالي متجهة إلى حقل شيبة. pic.twitter.com/zQHLBAbCYt
— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) March 12, 2026
Earlier, the defence ministry said two drones heading towards the same field were similarly destroyed, announcing the interception in a separate post on X.
المتحدث الرسمي لـ #وزارة_الدفاع: اعتراض وتدمير مسيّرتين في الربع الخالي متجهتين إلى حقل شيبة. pic.twitter.com/GV1cUwffTU
— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) March 12, 2026
Saudi Arabia confirmed on Wednesday that it had prevented several drone attacks against the facility, which is crucial to the country’s oil production.
المتحدث الرسمي لـ #وزارة_الدفاع: اعتراض وتدمير مسيّرتين في الربع الخالي متجهتين إلى حقل شيبة. pic.twitter.com/vIJOwTMFh5
— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) March 12, 2026
Earlier on Thursday, the Kuwaiti military said air defences have engaged five missiles and nine drones since dawn.
The Kuwaiti military has said that air defences have intercepted five hostile missiles and nine hostile drones.
“Five ballistic missiles were detected, four of which were engaged and destroyed, while one (1) missile fell outside the threat area,” the military has said in a post on X.
“Air defence systems also detected seven hostile drones, five of which were engaged and destroyed, while two drones fell outside the threat area.”
The military also noted that two drones targeted vital facilities, bringing the total of hostile drones that targeted the country to nine, resulting in “human injuries and material damage”.
“The General Staff of the Army notes that the explosion sounds heard in some areas of the country are the result of air defence systems intercepting hostile aerial targets,” the military has added.
“The General Staff of the Army also urges everyone to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities.”
بيان رقم (28)
صادر عن المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الدفاع
العقيد الركن سعود عبدالعزيز العطوانتصدّت القوات المسلحة الكويتية منذ فجر اليوم الخميس الموافق 12 مارس 2026 لموجةٍ من الأهداف الجوية المعادية التي اخترقت أجواء البلاد.
حيث تم رصد عدد (5) صواريخ باليستية، وتم التعامل مع عدد… pic.twitter.com/DsRBJ3bGAU
— KUWAIT ARMY – الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) March 12, 2026
Oil prices have surged since the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, killing its supreme leader and plunging the Middle East into war.
Retaliatory Iranian missile strikes and drone attacks have brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global crude passes, almost to a halt.
The International Energy Agency said on Wednesday that its members had agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves — their largest release ever — in a bid to stabilise prices.
But oil surged more than nine percent on Thursday to break back above $100 a barrel after fresh Iranian strikes overshadowed the record release.
