US sent jets toward Iran after alleged plan to attack Saudi Arabia
2 Min Read
Reports related by the Washington Post reveal that the US sent jets toward Iran over an alleged attack on Saudi Arabia, which Iran categorically deemed as false.
-
Two US Air Force F-15E strike eagles and a B-2 bomber fly in formation (USAF)
A report by The Washington Post wrote that the US dispatched jets to Iran in response to alleged news of Iranian "preparations for ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia."
The newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Kingdom had shared intelligence with the United States about an "imminent attack" from Iran on targets within its territory.
According to The Washington Post, when these rumors surfaced, the US Central Command sent jets based in the Gulf region toward Iran. It added that the scrambling of the US jets was meant to highlight the importance of US-Saudi relations.
This comes despite the US reaction to the Saudi-led OPEC+ group's decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day, whereby it stated it will evaluate its bilateral ties with the Kingdom. Riyadh has stated that its decision, which was completely based on economic estimates, was not intended to harm the United States.
Read more: Oil deal or no deal? A Saudi slap in the US face: NYT
This comes after 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.
The report claimed 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.
On his part, Iran's Foreign Ministery Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani slammed the report by The Wall Street Journal that claimed Iran is planning to carry out several attacks on targeted areas in Saudi Arabia as baseless.
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. The fact that American troops were nearby was likewise a cause for concern.
