Officials: Saudis tell US that Iran may attack the kingdom | AP News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom, three U.S. officials said Tuesday.
The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Saudi Arabia come as the Biden administration is criticizing Tehran for its crackdown on widespread protests and condemning it for sending hundreds of drones — as well as technical support — to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.
"We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis," the National Security Council said in a statement. "We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region."
Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did Iran's mission to the United Nations.
One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing described it as a credible threat of an attack "soon or within 48 hours." No U.S. embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Asked about reports of the intelligence shared by the Saudis, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said U.S. military officials "are concerned about the threat situation in the region."
"We're in regular contact with our Saudi partners, in terms of what information they may have to provide on that front," Ryder said. "But what we've said before, and I'll repeat it, is that we will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere."
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said America was "concerned about the threat picture," without elaborating.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the Saudis sharing the intelligence earlier on Tuesday. Iran has alleged without providing evidence that Saudi Arabia and other rivals are fomenting the dissent on its streets by ordinary Iranians.
Of particular ire is protest coverage by Iran International, a London-based, Farsi-language satellite news channel once majority-owned by a Saudi national.
The U.S. and Saudis blamed Iran in 2019 of being behind a major attack in eastern Saudi Arabia, which halved the oil-rich kingdom's production and caused energy prices to spike. The Iranians denied they were behind the attack, but the same triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying drones used in that attack are now being deployed by Russian forces in their war on Ukraine.
The Saudis have also been hit repeatedly in recent years by drones, missiles and mortars launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Saudi Arabia formed a coalition to battle the Houthis in 2015 and has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes in the war, which have killed scores of civilians.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials for the brutal crackdown on demonstrators after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September after her arrest by Iran's morality police. The administration has also hit Iran with sanctions for supplying drones to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.
At least 288 people have been killed and 14,160 arrested during the protests, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Demonstrations have continued, even as the feared paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned young Iranians to stop.
Iran already launched a series of attacks targeting Kurdish separatist positions in northern Iraq amid the protests, killing at least 16 people, including an American citizen.
U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia have also been strained after the Riyadh-led alliance of oil producing nations, OPEC+, announced in October that it would cut production by 2 million barrels per day starting in November.
The White House has said it is reviewing its relationship with the Saudis over the move. The administration said the production cut is effectively helping another OPEC+ member, Russia, pad its coffers as it continues its war in Ukraine, now in its ninth month.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday reiterated that the administration remains concerned that Iran may also provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles.
"We haven't seen that concern bear out, but it's a concern we have," Kirby said.
Even as the U.S. and others raise concerns about possible Iranian action, the administration has not ruled out the possibility of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was brokered by the Obama administration and scrapped in 2018 by the Trump administration.
The U.S. special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, said on Monday that the administration was not currently focused on the deal, which has been stalled since August.
Still, Malley refused to declare the deal dead and said the administration "makes no apology" for "trying to do everything we can to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."
The deal had provided Tehran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for the country agreeing to roll back its nuclear program. It includes caps on enrichment and how much material Iran can stockpile and limits the operation of advanced centrifuges needed to enrich.
___
Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
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That would be a very stupid move on Iran's part.
Yeah....but this is how shit escalates into global conflict.
True.
My initial reaction is to cue up the world's tiniest violin for the thought that the regime that killed Jamal Khashoggi might be attacked by the regime that beat Mahsa Amini to death.
By western standards, it's always been a savage part of the world.
tell bonesaw to call up his new oil pal putin for some military help...
sounds like the perfect time to renegotiate some long term saudi oil production and pricing contracts that will kneecap big oil in the US and benefit consumers here. otherwise, let these sheet wearing fucks annihilate each other and then go in when the dust settles and take what we want.
I see most of the people living under these regimes as victims.
Not good timing for the Saudis to cut back on its oil production, and then expecting the USA to defend them.
That may be exactly why Iran chose this time.
The Saudis wouldn't help stupid Joe Biden and Joe is just idiotic enough to let Iran attack them.
it's going to be funny when we find out that bonesaw partnered with trump to interfere in our midterm elections by playing games with oil production.
I'll be hear to see how much laughing you do next Tuesday night.
Going to be even more funny watching Democrats cry over Trump after midterm losses.
"But Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!!" Why don't they care about Trruuummmmppppp!!!!! We lost because of Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!!"
Democrats will forever remain fucking clueless.
besides the spelling, I'll be laughing at trumpsters whining about a lack of results in states where they've hindered the vote tabulation process in an election that they claim is already rigged. even if the fascists prevail in the midterms, tax cuts for the rich and revenge politics won't help them in '24.
Many of them can't even hold a conversation without blurting out "TRUMP!".
Think they (or their loyal voters) will realize Trump isn't on the ballot this month anywhere?
Democrats have shot themselves in the foot. Repeatedly.
Choosing to ignore issues voters have said are most important to them, claiming credit for 40 year highs in inflation, claiming crime isn't a problem, open borders, what could possibly go wrong for them?
LMAO!
hear this ...
... and this
Wild-assed conspiracy theory #1899182
Oh, come on Vic. Anyone can see that this would be a good time to renegotiate with the Saudis. We have bases there and they are not stupid.
It is a bit of a tangled web though. The Saudis are in OPEC+ so that would make them together with the Russians. On the other hand, they need us for defense.
Oh what a tangled web...
Do you want them to pump more oil to reduce the price and support the world burning even more of this filthy fuel than it already does?
Too bad 'quid pro quo' is so frowned upon. Seems like a perfect time for a little of it. A little protection for a little oil.
Oh, never mind, we can't be seen begging for more fossil fuels, the climate-change activists will go apeshit crazy.
YES!
Hummm interesting question, coming from someone who has never indicated that he actually is concerned with that issue.
To be totally honest, I am very conflicted. I do think that we need to get off the junk. On the other hand, we are not quite ready for that, and people have to make ends meet, so high gas prices are a killer right now. It seems to me that people are short sighted, but it also seems to me that where we are at, people need oil.
I do believe that it was Bush 2 who started that, and Obama who continued. The devil is in the details.
Did Bush do nation-building and nothing more?
Is that what Bush did?
See, we can both play that game.
Why not state the non-partisan facts? Neither president did what they said they were going to do. That makes them equally wrong.
And destroyed their country, while Haliburton made a ton of money.
Wow you really can't stop being partisan
I find the George Bush Barrack Obama phenomena truly astonishing. These guys tried to convince us how different they were from one another but now after their administrations the parallels are extraordinary. They have become close friends, you could seat them together for any event and they'd be happy.
The Bush wars were a disaster, his domestic policy was not a conservative domestic policy at all. Obama campaigned as a reformer, he too made abhorrent mistakes with the wars and his domestic policy certainly wouldn't draw interest from today's democrat.
Conservatives defend his wars, that is surprising after all we are afforded to know. Obama continued the wars with a fury and Conservatives complain about that. Both these men created and continued a complex high tech surveillance state on it's own citizens and not a complaint from either of these groups. Bush comes out against trump and Democrats embrace him for it. I curious love affair for certain.
Funny stuff.
I don't care who started the war or who continued the war. America lost big, they were mistakes. Barrack Obama wasn't a liberal, sorry no pass, his domestic policy was garbage.
I'd be partisan if I agreed with one and not the other. You are trying to make a case for Bush and fail for Obama.
And history shows you are wrong.... but whatever.
Never stopped the US from doing what was not in our best interests before.
We are damn stupid foreign policy wise when our career politicians and diplomats think they are acting in our best interests; much the less when we at in someone else's like Libya (French and British oil contracts) and Ukraine (NATO countries that can't- make that won't- defend themselves from the inept Russian military).
The Saudis should be able to handle Iran on their own; but they don't have as many hard line zealots willing to fight.
I agree, we've seen enough examples of that.
But the Democrats are desperately searching for SOMETHING to distract from their shitty performance of the last 2 years.
I don't have a clue about what they could do to save their asses next week. I don't think they'll start a war, but I bet it's gone through their minds.
There isn't a damn thing they could do to save themselves. I can't rule a war out. Afterall, they have gotten us quasi involved in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Last month, Irans’s Shura council reported that around 50,000 foreign intelligence agents were causing the riots and unrest.
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 and those who are paid by them, and some traitorous Iranians abroad helped them."
Two weeks ago, the Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Saudi Arabia to stop supporting the riots.
Khamenei and his cronies really are just totally batshit crazy. Big problem is those batshit crazy people are the ones in power and do not care how much innocent blood they have to spill to remain in power.
Isn't this just another day in the Middle East? We already know the United States is not going to fight Iran. So, what's the point of beating war drums?
If this is true and the attack significant, then we have yet another example of a tyrant (Ali Khamenei) with absurd levels of power fucking things up. Will a troll attempt to defend this tyrant by claiming he was 'forced to' attack Saudi Arabia?
Happy to help. I just need gasoline to go back to $1.50.
Amen!
SA should be able to defend itself. It has some of the finest US weapons systems in the world. Abrams tanks, Thadd and Patriot missiles systems, F16 and other types of jet fighters attack helicopters, and a large order of F35.
M777 155mm howitzers, The French 155mm Ceaser self-propelled artillery.
Morning..my first thought was..
The Saudis are big enough and uglier enough to look after themselves as the saying goes..
And let them get on with it..
Slightly off topic..see the US is sending some long range bombers our way.. excellent..
And the Chinese melt down beginith...
Six B 52s are to be stationed near Darwin at the RAAF base at Tinsdale.
Yep, and the Chinese are fit to be tied over that one. Those BUFF's are within easy range of China and their precious man made island fighter strips in the South China Sea and elsewhere. China knows it and it scares the crap out of them.
I'm sure that it does scare them, but that is what they are designed to do and they do it very well.
It's hard to imagine that the first B52 came off the line in 1954. They have outlived damn near every light or heavy bomber the US has ever used.
They remind me of the various iterations of the Spooky/Puff the Magic Dragon the AC130 gunship. They have been in use starting in Vietnam.
Yep, the last BUFF rolled off the production line,a B-52H model, in 1962. The young pilots flying the BUFF today are flying aircraft their grandfathers probably flew.
Yeah the usual BS about it's not in our best interests and they are all about peace and co operation...
So we will be flavour of the month again...it had gone quiet for awhile...so it was a bit boring..
Another area that is a problem is the rare earth metals which at the moment China dominates. Quietly the US and Australia have been working on a different supply chain that would probably be the US/Australia/Japan for the moment. Contracts have been signed and the site are being prepared to be built.
The same thing is taking place in the chip industry. Taiwan is going to build a plant in the US and there are 3 other plants in the planning stages, CA. AZ and OH. I believe.
It's not necessary to remind me of how old I am, Doc....LOL
Especially if SA has been provided with the precision Excaliber 155 mm round for their M777 towed howitzers and their M109 Paladin self propelled howitzer system.
Saudi Arabia is now allied with Russia, that is who is selling them their weapons now. Call Vladimir Putin and share your fears with them.
You really should do better research. The article you are quoting is from August of 2021 and never went past a symbolic gesture on the part of the Saudi's. A multi billion dollar weapons deal with Russia fizzled out. Saudi's are not allied with Russia except in Russia purchasing oil. The biggest weapons suppliers to Saudi Arabia are the US, UK, and France. About the only arms from Russia are small arms.
It doesn't change anything, they funded planes flying in to towers. They should get a recording when they call the Whitehouse for assistance.
I agree with you on SA not selling weapons to Russia but there are a few other dangers that exist, one is the de facto leader of SA, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and the second dating back to 2016 the history and the oil connection with Russia now being part of OPEC plus.
Russia showing in Ukraine (bad) and their weapons and their army must have SA thinking, WTF Russia is a paper tiger plus the fact that Russia is now getting much closer with Iran and dreaded enemy of SA again must have the SA's thinking once again, WTF.
This is a link to a very good article on SA and Russia, it's long but well worth reading and very recent as of Oct. 2022.
That was Bin Laden that funded that not the Saudi government.
Nice attempt at deflection from your original statement instead of just admitting your info was in error. No one would have faulted you for that.
Good post. I appreciate you expanding on things I missed. Yes, on the world stage Russia's military strength is a pale shadow of it's cold war strength. Russia is coming to rely more and more on the Wagner Group for troops as well as Iraqi commando units. My feeling is that Russia is eventually cutting it's own throat militarily by placing too much faith in non Russian foreign troops to fight it's battles just like Nazi Germany did in WW II when they lost so many troops on the Eastern Front.
My thanks for the article and will read it at the earliest opportunity.
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The Bin Laden Family was from Yemen and not royals. Osama He was banished from Saudi Arabia in 1992, and lost his Saudi citizenship in 1994.
Yep.
Did Obama know that when he provided them the big weapons deals?
Allied? How, treaties, what?
Wahhabism is the largest sect in SA and very violent. The DOJ has said the following about it,
Are members of the Saudi Royal family members, I do not know and I'm sure that if they were they would deny it. Osama bin Laden was not a member of the sect but followed many of their teachings. ISIS are followers of the Wahhabi sect.
Yep, the Wahhabi sect gives new meaning to the word intolerant as regards other Muslim sects.