PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 14th, 2026: Saudi Arabia SECRETLY Struck Iran During The War & Zelensky’s Corruption Crisis
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
It's Thursday, the 14th of May. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, just days after reports revealed that the United Arab Emirates, the UAE, secretly struck Iran during the war, new reporting now claims that Saudi Arabia quietly launched retaliatory attacks of its own inside Iranian territory. Later in the show, a massive corruption investigation inside Ukraine's leadership continues as President Zelensky's former chief of staff is arrested for alleged graft. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. Just two days ago, new reporting revealed that the United Arab Emirates had secretly launched military strikes inside Iran during the regional war.
Now, it appears the Saudis did the same. According to new reporting from Reuters, Saudi Arabia carried out covert retaliatory strikes on Iranian territory back in late March, after Tehran launched waves of missiles and drones at the kingdom during the conflict. If true, it would mark the first known incident where Saudi Arabia has directly attacked targets on Iranian soil and a major escalation between the Middle East's two most powerful regional rivals. And perhaps even more importantly, it suggests that the true scope of this war has been far larger than publicly understood. Because publicly, Gulf Arab states spent months presenting themselves as cautious actors, desperately trying to avoid being dragged into a direct war with Tehran.
Privately, it now appears at least two Gulf monarchies were quietly firing back. According to Reuters, the Saudi strikes were carried out by the Royal Saudi Air Force in late March, as part of what Western officials described as, quote, tit-for-tat retaliation after Iran struck Saudi infrastructure and civilian targets. The exact targets inside Iran remain unclear, but the broader message appears unmistakable. Saudi Arabia wanted Tehran to understand that attacks on the kingdom would no longer go unanswered. But unlike the more aggressive posture reportedly adopted by the UAE, the Saudis appear to have approached this very differently. This wasn't about joining a broader American or Israeli war effort.
In fact, Riyadh simultaneously communicated to Tehran that it was not entering the wider war and did not want uncontrolled escalation. That balancing act is critical to understanding what's happening here.
What recent military actions did Saudi Arabia take against Iran?
For years, Saudi Arabia has tried to reduce tensions with Iran after decades of proxy conflict across the region. A China broker detente back in 2023 helped restore diplomatic ties between the two powers after years of hostility. But the war changed that equation. When the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran back on February 28th, Gulf states immediately feared they would become targets, and they were right. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones not just at American bases, but at Gulf airports, energy infrastructure, shipping networks, and civilian sites. According to Reuters, Iran struck all six Gulf Cooperation Council states during the conflict. And while the UAE reportedly absorbed the heaviest barrages, Saudi Arabia was hit repeatedly as well, including attacks targeting oil infrastructure and key economic assets.
Now, Saudi Arabia's economy depends on stability, foreign investment, and uninterrupted energy exports. And while the kingdom managed to continue exporting oil throughout much of the conflict, thanks to its east-west pipeline bypassing the straight-up Hormuz, Iranian attacks still reportedly disrupted hundreds of thousands of barrels a day in oil production and transit capacity. In other words, Tehran wasn't just firing missiles at Saudi Arabia. It was threatening the foundation of the Saudi economy, and that appears to have forced a major strategic shift. For decades, Gulf monarchies largely relied on the American security umbrella to deter Iran while avoiding direct confrontation themselves. But this war exposed serious vulnerabilities.
Iranian missiles pierced regional defenses, global shipping routes were disrupted, and Gulf economies suddenly found themselves directly in the crosshairs.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:12–2:45
2
What recent military actions did Saudi Arabia take against Iran?
2:45–6:12
3
How has the UAE's involvement in the conflict affected regional dynamics?
6:12–12:10
4
What implications do Saudi Arabia's strikes have on its relationship with Iran?
12:10–15:18
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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