Saudi Defense Ministry spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said the attacks began shortly after midnight, with 48 drones launched in roughly two hours.

In a series of posts on X starting at 2:22 a.m. local time, he said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed all the drones before they reached their intended targets.The strikes form part of a broader pattern of nightly drone operations attributed to Iran, which Saudi officials say have intensified in recent weeks.

The drone barrage came hours after Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, shared a notice attributed to Iran’s military command asserting that the aircraft being used in attacks were not Iranian systems.

According to the statement cited by Enayati, “the enemy” was deploying drones disguised as Iranian-made Shahed drone under the name “Lucas drone,” an allegation that appeared aimed at deflecting responsibility for the strikes.

Saudi authorities did not comment on the claim.

Saudi defense officials said the latest attacks raised the number of drones intercepted in the kingdom to more than 230 since the campaign began.

Defense Ministry statements also show that more than 30 missiles have been shot down during the same period.Other Gulf states have reported similar increases in aerial threats.

Authorities in Bahrain said their air defenses had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones, with two people killed there and 24 others across the region.

The United Arab Emirates said its military had engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and approximately 1,600 drones during the conflict, reporting six fatalities.

Officials across the Gulf say the attacks have followed a recurring pattern of overnight drone launches followed by relative calm during daylight hours.

Speaking in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian specialists have already been deployed to several countries in the region to help assess defenses against kamikaze drones used by Iran.

Each Ukrainian team consists of dozens of experts tasked with analyzing local air-defense capabilities and demonstrating effective counter-drone strategies.

According to the Ukrainian leader, teams have been sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, while specialists have also visited a U.S. military base in Jordan. The deployments come as Gulf states face growing threats from Iranian “Shahed” kamikaze drones and have expended significant numbers of air-defense missiles trying to intercept them.

Ukraine has gained extensive experience countering such drones during its war with Russia. Ukrainian forces regularly intercept drones using a mix of air-defense systems, electronic jamming equipment, and smaller interceptor drones that provide a cheaper alternative to expensive missile systems.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s assistance does not mean involvement in military operations against Iran. Instead, he described the mission as a defensive effort focused on sharing knowledge and conducting detailed evaluations of regional air-defense strategies.

“This is not about participating in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that Ukraine’s role is limited to technical advice and strategic assessments on how to counter the Iranian-made Shahed drones.

He added that nearly a dozen countries worldwide have approached Ukraine seeking guidance on defending against drone attacks, reflecting Kyiv’s growing reputation in drone warfare and electronic defense.However, Zelenskyy made clear that Ukraine expects tangible benefits from its assistance.

“Honestly, for us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” he said, noting that discussions about what Ukraine will receive in return are still ongoing.

The Ukrainian president also said it remains uncertain whether Kyiv and the United States will finalize a long-discussed agreement on drone cooperation, negotiations for which have been underway for months.

As drone warfare becomes an increasingly central feature of modern conflicts, Ukraine’s battlefield experience is now positioning the country as an emerging global source of expertise in counter-drone defense.

The latest strike marks another escalation in the widening confrontation involving Iran, Israel and regional armed groups, which has expanded across several fronts in recent days.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said its fighters were involved in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces late on Saturday in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.The group said the fighting involved light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles.

Israeli authorities did not immediately comment on the reported engagement.Cross-border exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have intensified as the broader conflict spreads across the region.

Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation aimed at negotiating with Israel in an effort to halt the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese official said.

“Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but neither the timing nor the location has been determined,” the official said, adding that Paris and Cyprus were being considered as potential venues for talks.

Israel has not publicly committed to participating in such negotiations.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 826 people since the start of the latest conflict with Hezbollah, including 65 women and 106 children, while 2,009 others had been wounded.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara feared Israel was “moving toward a new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah” during its ongoing assault on Lebanon.

The Israeli military said in a statement on its official Telegram account that missiles had been launched from Iran toward the State of Israel and that defensive systems were operating to counter the threat.

Air raid sirens sounded across Jerusalem, according to AFP journalists on the ground, who also reported hearing explosions in the distance during the interception attempts.

A short time after the alert, Israel’s military said civilians were permitted to leave protected shelters, indicating the immediate threat had passed.

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services said there were no immediate reports of direct casualties from the missile fire. However, emergency teams were treating a small number of people who sustained injuries while moving toward protected areas during the alert.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that several people were injured near Tel Aviv following the Iranian missile strikes, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a satellite communications center in Haifa as well as Israeli military bases during the missile attack.

The Guards also said they struck U.S. targets elsewhere in the Middle East, including locations in Iraqi Kurdistan and the U.S. Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain, according to a statement published on the Sepah News website.

In the statement, the Guards said they would continue sustained attacks against what they described as enemy targets during the conflict.

The ministry said the deployments were made “in the context of the latest developments in our region,” adding that additional measures could be taken depending on how the situation evolves.

European powers have stepped up military activity on the divided Mediterranean island since a drone struck Britain’s RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus last week. Security officials believe the drone was launched by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group.

The Turkish defence ministry said six F-16 jets along with air defence systems had been positioned in northern Cyprus, which Ankara recognises as an independent state.

“As a result of the evaluations to be made depending on the developments, additional measures will continue to be taken if necessary,” the ministry said in a statement.

The island of Cyprus has been divided for decades between the internationally recognised government in the south and the Turkish Cypriot administration in the north. Ankara does not recognise the Greek Cypriot government, which is a member of the European Union.

Nikos Christodoulides, the Greek Cypriot president, said the Turkish deployments were a response to recent European statements asserting that the island’s security falls under the responsibility of the European Union.Speaking to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, he described Turkey as an “occupying power” in Cyprus.

Tufan Erhurman, leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, criticised the remarks and said the focus should instead be on ensuring security for the entire island and both communities.

Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, said the deployment was not aimed at any country but intended to strengthen security and maintain the balance of power on the island.“But we must add this: other steps may come too, whether it is air defence systems, drone centres,”

The latest move follows a regional security incident last week when NATO defences intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran that entered Turkish airspace. Ankara warned Tehran on Saturday against launching further missiles toward its territory.

Emergency services responded to the site shortly after the impact, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals while security teams secured the surrounding neighborhood, according to officials familiar with the incident. The identities of the victims were not immediately released, and authorities did not specify the precise type or origin of the projectile.Local authorities said the injured were receiving medical treatment and that several sustained moderate wounds. Civil defense personnel also assessed structural damage to nearby homes and vehicles, which appeared to have been struck by debris from the blast.Investigation underwaySaudi security officials said an investigation had been launched to determine the trajectory and source of the projectile. Initial assessments focused on whether the strike was linked to ongoing regional hostilities that have periodically spilled across borders in recent years.Officials said forensic teams were examining fragments recovered from the site while military radar data was being reviewed to reconstruct the object’s path before impact.Residents in the area reported hearing a loud explosion that rattled windows and triggered panic among families before emergency crews arrived. Authorities urged the public to avoid the affected zone while investigators completed their work.Civilian areas exposed to regional tensionsThe incident comes amid heightened regional tensions that have periodically placed civilian infrastructure and residential districts at risk. Saudi Arabia has previously reported projectile and drone strikes targeting cities and energy facilities during periods of heightened conflict in the Middle East.Security analysts say such incidents highlight the vulnerability of populated areas to spillover from broader geopolitical confrontations. While Saudi air defense systems intercept many incoming threats, officials acknowledge that some projectiles can evade interception and cause casualties.Authorities reiterated that emergency response systems remain on high alert and that additional security assessments are being conducted in the aftermath of the strike.Medical teams continued treating the wounded late on Sunday while civil defense units cleared debris and inspected nearby buildings for potential structural hazards.

Speaking to the newspaper on Saturday, Trump described Meloni as “a great leader” and said Italy was doing what it could to help in the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. “She always tries to help, she is an excellent leader and she is a friend of mine,” Trump said, according to the report.Italy signals support roleItaly has taken steps in recent days indicating a possible role in regional security efforts linked to the conflict.

Meloni said on Thursday that Rome was planning to send air-defence assistance to Gulf countries facing Iranian air strikes.The move reflects broader European concerns about the security implications of escalating hostilities in the Middle East.Naval deployment near eastern MediterraneanSeparately, an Italian navy vessel is preparing to sail to Cyprus, an Italian navy spokesperson said on Friday. The deployment is part of a joint European mission intended to help protect the island after it came under Iranian fire.The operation underscores growing military coordination among European countries as regional tensions intensify.

Diplomatic alignment with WashingtonTrump’s remarks highlight the close political relationship between Washington and Rome under Meloni’s leadership. Italy, a NATO member and a key European Union economy, has maintained strong security ties with the United States.Italian officials have not detailed the full scope of their potential involvement, but recent defence measures suggest Rome is positioning itself to support regional security initiatives connected to the conflict.