Saudi Arabia joins US-led naval patrols in Strait of Hormuz

Riyadh has enlisted in a US-led naval patrols aimed at protecting merchant ships as they travel through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has become a hotspot amid rising tensions with Iran.

A source inside Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on Wednesday that the kingdom had joined the US-led naval patrols.

Saudi Arabia’s accession to the naval alliance comes days after a drone targeted a major oil facility in the country. Houthi in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the precision strikes, but Washington insists the real culprit is Iran.