In response to claims that Tehran has threatened Saudi Arabia, the United States has expressed alarm and stated that it will not hold back if required.
The National Security Council issued a statement yesterday saying, the community is worried about the danger scenario and it stays in close touch with the Saudis through military and intelligence networks,” the council asserted.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to write on Tuesday’s intelligence exchange between Saudi Arabia and the US. Iran and Saudi Arabia have not made any public remarks on the situation.
Iran has claimed recurrently that Riyadh and other adversaries are behind the anti-government demonstrations that have been taking place in the nation since September.
IRGC, Iranian main military force, sent a warning to Saudi Arabia last month to temper its coverage of Iranian demonstrations on satellite news networks, notably Iran International. The channel is a Saudi-backed satellite television program with headquarters in British capital.
Major-General Hossein Salami stated, this is our final warning since you are meddling in our domestic matters through these outlets. He further said Riyadh is entangled in this situation and Tehran is aware of the kingdom’s vulnerability.
Riyadh-related fears have grown as a result of the Biden administration’s criticism of Tehran for its response to the demonstrations.
A real threat of an assault that would occur, immediately or in less than two days, one of the individuals who verified the intelligence exchange with the Wall Street Journal described the condition. Based on the information, no US embassy or consulate in the area has sent out warnings or instructions to Americans living in Saudi Arabia or other countries in the region. The anonymous sources believed they were not authorized to make public comments.
Iran and Saudi Arabia; Beyond Regional Conflict
The Pentagon press secretary, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, stated that US military leaders “are worried about the threat posture in the region” when questioned about allegations of the data supplied by the Saudi government.
The fresh worries come amid tense ties between Riyadh and Washington following an OPEC+ coalition’s decision to reduce oil output objectives in September, which stoked worries about a rise in gasoline prices across the United States.
Back in 2019, a significant strike in eastern Saudi Arabia, which cut the oil-rich country’s output in half and raised energy prices, was attributed by Washington and Riyadh to Iran. Iranian officials denied responsibility for the incident.
Drones and missiles fired by the Houthis in Yemen have also frequently targeted the Saudis in recent years. In 2015, Saudi Arabia joined a coalition to fight the Houthis; since then, it has faced worldwide criticism for the war’s airstrikes, which have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
Following the recent escalations is some Iranian cities, the Biden administration recently levied penalties on Iranian officials for the its response to local protests. In addition, the administration imposed sanctions on Iran for an alleged providing of drones to Russia to be used in its conflict with Ukraine.
