Mohammed al-Saed

Saudi Awareness of the Cost of War!

July 13, 2026 - 00:05 | Last updated July 13, 2026 - 00:05

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On the morning of June 5, 1984, an aerial clash occurred over the Arabian Gulf near the eastern shores of Saudi Arabia, between the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Iranian Air Force. The incident was triggered by Iranian aircraft approaching Saudi airspace and civilian and industrial areas. The Saudi Air Force was mobilized and engaged them with high efficiency, resulting in the downing of several Iranian aircraft.

The battle was not just what was happening in the air between military forces; rather, the more important battle was how to manage success and how to win without igniting a major war. This is the equation in which the Saudis excel, always based on respecting opponents and containing disputes to their minimum limits without allowing them to expand.

The Saudi statement that followed the incident was very striking, as it announced the downing of only one Iranian aircraft. Riyadh's goal was deterrence, not entering into a prolonged war of attrition. The question is: could this incident have escalated into a full-scale war? Yes, the climate between the two countries was conducive, relations were not at their best, and the political and security turmoil in the region was explosive. On Saudi Arabia's borders, two major wars were raging: the Iran-Iraq War and the Soviet-Afghan War. Most importantly, the dreams of those wishing for Saudi Arabia to enter the circle of wars failed.

Riyadh preferred to demonstrate to the Iranians its deterrent capability without being dragged into another war that would further ignite and explode the region.

During the Iran-Iraq War, Riyadh took an exceptional Arab stance supporting the eastern gate and defending it. In the Afghan War, it also took an Islamic position defending the Afghans' right to self-determination under an Islamic banner, not a communist one. However, this did not tempt it to take reckless or showy stances; rather, it was keen on ending wars while preserving the rights of its brothers.

Today, nearly four decades after Riyadh's failure to push for a major regional war, the same attempts are renewed with the Israeli-American-Iranian war. However, the Saudi position seems steadfast, based on the same principle: 'deterrence with a full understanding of the cost of war,' as well as a deep awareness that the greatest success lies in preserving the state's gains while thwarting the wishes that escape from the statements and declarations of some regional and global officials with agendas, who built their plans on attempting to entangle Riyadh, turning it into a failed state in a costly long war of attrition that consumes everything, where both countries reap only grudges, victims, and wounds that do not heal, in addition to an economic drain that cannot be repaired.

Yes, Saudi Arabia can issue a series of fiery statements against Iran, and it can rally public opinion and market itself (vocally). It is capable of sending its missiles and aircraft, but everyone understands that this would escalate into a full-scale war; war between the great powers is not the same as war with the smaller ones.

But before that, let us recall that the Saudis were among the first to confront Iran and deter it in the Gulf without turning it into a full-scale war. They know that they are opponents whose war is desired, and they also know how to defend themselves and how to control their anger. War is not a picnic, nor vocal displays, nor rallying songs; it is bloodshed, wasted money, a withering economy, and wounds that will not heal.

On the morning of June 5, 1984, an aerial clash occurred over the Arabian Gulf near the eastern shores of Saudi Arabia, between the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Iranian Air Force. The incident was triggered by Iranian aircraft approaching Saudi airspace and civilian and industrial areas. The Saudi Air Force was mobilized and engaged them with high efficiency, resulting in the downing of several Iranian aircraft.

The battle was not just what was happening in the air between military forces; rather, the more important battle was how to manage success and how to win without igniting a major war. This is the equation in which the Saudis excel, always based on respecting opponents and containing disputes to their minimum limits without allowing them to expand.

The Saudi statement that followed the incident was very striking, as it announced the downing of only one Iranian aircraft. Riyadh's goal was deterrence, not entering into a prolonged war of attrition. The question is: could this incident have escalated into a full-scale war? Yes, the climate between the two countries was conducive, relations were not at their best, and the political and security turmoil in the region was explosive. On Saudi Arabia's borders, two major wars were raging: the Iran-Iraq War and the Soviet-Afghan War. Most importantly, the dreams of those wishing for Saudi Arabia to enter the circle of wars failed.