Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait returned their ambassadors to Beirut in a move that slowly thaws a diplomatic crisis that has strained Lebanon since last October, sparked by critical comments of the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen. Recent improvements in relations between Lebanon and the two Persian Gulf states have relieved the cash-strapped country’s politicians.

A Turkish court has ruled to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and for the case to be transferred to Riyadh.

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has hit oil facilities in southern Saudi Arabia with a barrage of drone attacks.

The United Nations human rights chief has condemned Saudi Arabia's execution of a record 81 people in a single day. Michelle Bachelet has urged the kingdom to stop using the death penalty.

Iran’s High Council for Human Rights has strongly condemned Saudi Arabia’s recent mass execution and called for a thorough investigation.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has condemned the West’s silence toward Saturday’s mass execution in Saudi Arabia.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran’s leader has strongly condemned the recent mass execution of people including teens in Saudi Arabia as a crime and blatant carnage.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, in reaction to the mass execution of people in Saudi Arabia, has said the move contravenes the basic principles of human rights and international law, violated humanitarian principles and accepted legal procedures, and was carried out without observing fair judicial proceedings.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar’s website has quoted informed sources in Yemen’s capital Sana’a as saying that Yemeni forces have put all refineries and oil installations of Saudi oil giant Aramco on their list of targets.

The spokesman for the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement says the execution of Shiites in Saudi Arabia by the Al-Saud regime is a combination of terrorism and chicanery.

Saudi Arabia executed 81 people Saturday convicted of crimes ranging from killings to belonging to militant groups. It's the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its "modern history."

A drone attack on an oil refinery in the Saudi capital caused a small fire but no disruption to supplies, officials announced Friday. It comes as crude prices have soared after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

For the first time after two years, mass prayers have been held in Mecca’s Grand Mosque and in Medina’s Mosque of the Prophet without observing social distancing related to the Covid pandemic.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan has separately met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The Saudi diplomat talked about various issues, including the Vienna talks on the revival of the Iran nuclear deal and Yemen, with American and European officials.

The White House has dispatched two US officials to Saudi Arabia this week to press Riyadh to pump more oil. The development comes as fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine could cause energy prices to rise.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly arrested leading Shia cleric Sheikh Kadhim al-Amri in the holy city of Medina, without any charges.

The European-Saudi Organization of Human Rights, ESOHR, has reported a 148% increase in the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year compared to 2020.

Saudi Arabia aims to take advantage of its uranium resources to develop its nuclear power program, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud revealed.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on Monday with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Wuxi City of Jiangsu Province. The top diplomats discussed a range of issues, including the Iran nuclear deal and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has appealed to regional countries to replenish the depleted stock of intercepting missiles for its US-made Patriot air-defense system as Yemeni forces ramp up rocket and drone strikes on the kingdom, the Financial Times reported.

Iranian ambassador to Iraq says Baghdad will soon host the fifth round of talks between Tehran and Riyadh. Iran and Saudi Arabia have held four rounds of dialogue so far in order to ease tensions on several issues.

Media reports say Saudi Arabia has acquired the capability to produce ballistic missiles with help from China.

US intelligence agencies have assessed that Saudi Arabia is now actively manufacturing its own ballistic missiles with the help of China, CNN reported.

Yemeni troops say they have launched retaliatory fire against several Saudi Arabian cities, using ballistic missiles and drones.

Saudi Arabia has executed 886 people, including minors, in an accelerating rate during the past six years, a Europe-based rights group reports.