Saudi Arabia puts US forces on high alert over Iran 'imminent attack'

Saudi Arabia puts the US and forces in the Middle East on high alert over Iran threatening an ‘imminent attack on the Kingdom

• U.S. security officials are ‘concerned’ about potential threats from Iran, following report Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence of an ‘imminent’ threat from its rival
• The U.S. is signaling that the country won’t hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday
• The Wall Street Journal reported Iran was also planning to step up attacks on Erbil in Northern Iraq, with the attacks meant to distract from turmoil inside Iran

U.S. security officials are ‘concerned’ about potential threats from Iran, following a report that Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence of an ‘imminent’ threat from its rival.

The U.S. is signaling that the country won’t hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday.

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

The official spoke after the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with the United States warning of an imminent attack from Iran on targets in the kingdom.

The paper reported that Iran was also planning to step up attacks on Erbil in Northern Iraq, with the attacks meant to distract from turmoil inside Iran amid ongoing domestic protests.

Iranian protesters defied a deadly crackdown by security forces against nearly six weeks of women-led protests, as Tehran vowed to punish those behind a mass shooting

U.S. security officials are ‘concerned’ about potential threats from Iran, following a report that Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence of an ‘imminent’ threat from its rival

The United States has said Iran has supplied Russia with drones for use in its war against Ukraine, prompting Washington to set aside efforts to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal, which then-President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018.

Western officials say Iran is planning to send more of the killer drones, CNN reported Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia’s warning comes amid deep strains in the relationship with the U.S., which helps ensure security both through its military presence and through multi-billion arms sales of advanced weaponry.

President Joe Biden and his administration in recent weeks have been fuming over Saudi-led OPEC+ organization’s decision to cut oil output, which raised fears of a gasoline price spike in the United States.

The administration considers the move, which got announced weeks before the elections here, a boon to Russia’s war on Ukraine since Moscow relies on energy exports to pay its bills.

Iran’s export of drones to Russia has helped reshape the war, with Russia using the technology, according to US officials, to wreak havoc on Ukrainian domestic infrastructure like water and power plants.

Above is the aftermath of an Iranian drone attack in Iraq’s Kurdistan region 

A view of the headquarters of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (Komalah) destroyed by drones of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq’s Kurdistan region, 28 September 2022

Tehran also has been launching missiles and drones at Northern Iraq, with U.S. forces shooting down one missile as it headed toward Erbil. Iran blames activities by Iranian Kurdish separatist groups.

Iran continues to crack down in an effort to keep a lid on protests that have raged for weeks. It has charged an estimated 1,000 people in Tehan province for protesting Amini’s death while in policy custody after being arrested by ‘morality police,’ IRNA reported Monday. Trials are set to begin in the coming days, it reported.

Tehran has blamed Saudi Arabia for meddling in its own ‘internal affairs’ through Saudi-backed Farsi language news sites providing coverage of the protests.

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