Saudi Arabia warns US of Iran 'imminent threat'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Wall Street Journal
1 Nov 2022 23:06
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Amid deteriorated relations between the US and Saudi Arabia, did Saudi officials really provide that kind of intel to US officials?

Fears fueled by lies of US, Saudi Arabia over Iran "imminent threat"

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Saudi officials provided the US with intel about an "imminent attack" from Iran on targets in Saudi Arabia.

This information had put the American military and other militaries in the region on high alert, according to US and Saudi officials, without providing further details on the intel, the report stated.

It is claimed in the report that Iran intends to carry out an attack on both Saudi Arabia and Iraq "in an effort to distract attention from domestic protests that have roiled the country since September" fueled by western foreign agents, including Americans, as Iranian Intelligence reports showed.

The National Security Council said it was "concerned" about the warnings and will ready itself to respond to an "imminent attack" from Iran.

"We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” said a National Security Council spokesperson. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region."

The report states that Iran had previously carried out attacks in Erbil, northern Iraq, in the month of September, "with dozens of ballistic missiles and armed drones [...] one of which was shot down by a US warplane as it headed toward the city of Erbil."

The event that the Wall Street Journal is referring to was actually an attack carried out against the headquarters of the Komala and Kurdistan Democratic Party terrorist groups after the groups illegally sent armed individuals to Iranian cities in the previous days. The fact that American troops were nearby was likewise a cause for concern.

On October 2, the Shura council confirmed that over 45,000 foreign intelligence servicepersons were behind the riots, mostly from western countries, and possessed evidence to back its claims.

On October 3, Sayyed Ali Khamenei said "I say explicitly that these riots and this insecurity were a design by the US and the occupying, fake Zionist regime [Israel] and those who are paid by them, and some traitorous Iranians abroad helped them."

On October 17, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Saudi Arabia to cease fueling the riots via its media outlet, Iran International, a Saudi-affiliated satellite television channel based in London popular with many Iranians.

“This is our last warning, because you are interfering in our internal affairs through these media,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami said in remarks reported in state media at military drills in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. “You are involved in this matter and know that you are vulnerable.”

IRNA called Iran International "a network formed by Saudi Arabia in 2017 in London" that "adopts a completely anti-Iran approach" as the channel used social media to spread fake news of alleged crackdowns in the protests.

Iranophobia has been on the rise since western media violently dehumanized Iran's reputation after accusing it of an incident it wasn't responsible for: the death of Mahsa Amini.

The manipulation of human rights in western media has long been used to push for an agenda of government change, and the demonization of Iran is built on narratives of human rights violations.

As a country that has suffered years of unjust sanctions due to its defiance of western imperialism, Iran has been facing a surge of foreign agents commissioned to stir disruption in the country, as well as a surge in terrorists targeting civilians.

On October 26, an armed terrorist entered the Shah-e-Cherag shrine in Shiraz at approximately 5:45 pm local time (14:15 GMT), a little before evening prayers, and opened fire, killing 15 pilgrims, including women and children in cold blood, and leaving at least 40 others wounded.

ISIS, which is an invention of Western imperialism, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Moreover, the credibility of the entire report is questionable as ties between the Gulf country and the US have been souring lately - particularly in light of the recent decision undertaken by OPEC+ to slash oil production by two million barrels a day.

In response to the decision, President Biden said he is contemplating drawing back on shipping military aid to the Kingdom that includes advanced weaponry, such as Patriot missiles, as punishment.

"There needs to be a balance between punishing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and not making life more difficult or dangerous for the US,” one US official said.

Yesterday, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reaffirmed their commitment to support OPEC and its partners' decision to limit oil production, even as the US envoy warned of "economic uncertainty" looming over the world.

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, hinted at just that in brief remarks at the ADIPEC event this week, “We don’t owe it to anybody but us,” the Prince said, noting that the upcoming UN climate change summits will be held in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. “It was done for us, by us, for our future, and we need to commit ourselves to that.”