Iran threatens to hit Saudi, Abu Dhabi and Dubai air and sea ports, ships more missiles to Yemeni Houthis -
Military tensions rise in the Gulf region amid Iranian threats and supplies of extended-range missiles to the Yemeni insurgents.
Tehran has warned Riyadh that unless the Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports is lifted, Revolutionary Guards missiles supplied to the Yemeni Houthi insurgents will be loosed against the seaports and airfields of Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The warning was forwarded to their governments through the Omani back channel.
The Iranians informed Riyadh that by cutting off Yemen's lifeline, the oil kingdom exposed itself and its allies to retaliation in kind.
DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources add that, to give their warning sharp teeth, the Revolutionary Guards have been pumping fresh supplies of new surface missiles to Yemen by sea. Although the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates maintain fleets in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea routes of access around Yemen, none ran interference to the missile shipments. Such action would entail halting the Iranian freighters and confronting the missile-armed Iranian warships and submarines escorting them..
Our sources also report that Iranian experts have managed of late to lengthen the range of the ballistic missiles shipped to Yemen. The Burkan 2H, which Yemeni Houthis aimed at Riyadh airport last Saturday, Nov. 4 - and was intercepted - had a range of 1,000km. The latest model of this missile has an extended range of between 1.500 and 1,600km. But it remains to be seen if Tehran is also providing the Houthis with the high-precision missiles delivered to the Lebanese Hezbollah.
In an interview on Sunday, Nov. 6, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir charged that Hezbollah officers posted to Yemen had actually fired the Burkan missile at Riyadh airport from northern Yemen. The Saudis have not disclosed details on how and at what point it was intercepted.
Within range of the extended-range missiles are the UAE's Khalifa Port, Zayed Port and Mirfa Port, the backbone of the emirate's free trade zone and the main source of its prosperous economy. With the rising military tension in the Gulf region in the last few days, air defense missile batteries have been deployed at those ports and the UAE air force, one of the largest in the Gulf, placed on high alert.
Israel planning UN action against Iran, says intelligence minister - By Josef Federman -
Yisrael Katz says international community must enforce ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, keeping Iran-backed terror group out of south Lebanon
Following the surprising resignation of Lebanon's prime minister, Israel is planning a diplomatic offensive to step up pressure on Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah at the United Nations, a senior Israeli government minister said Thursday.
Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz told The Associated Press that he believes conditions are ripe to take a stand against Iranian actions in the region, including its support for the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group.
In particular, he said that Israel wants the world, after years of inaction, to tightly enforce a 2006 cease-fire agreement that called on Hezbollah to disarm and stay away from Israel's border.
"The resignation of Lebanon's Prime Minister (Saad) Hariri exposes Hezbollah's real face," said Katz, who is also transportation minister. "Iran is taking over Lebanon. Hezbollah is taking over Lebanon."
Israel has long considered Iran to be its greatest foe, citing the Islamic Republic's hostile rhetoric, suspect nuclear program, development of long-range missiles and support for anti-Israeli terror groups.
It has closely been watching Iran's involvement in the war in neighboring Syria and is deeply concerned that Iran, along with Hezbollah, will maintain a permanent presence in post-war Syria. It fears that Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks on Israel, or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Israel battled to a stalemate in a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a UN-brokered cease-fire.
The agreement, UN Security Council Resolution 1701, called for the disarmament of militant groups in Lebanon and an end to arms transfers to them. The only armed forces allowed in southern Lebanon were the Lebanese national army and UN peacekeepers.
The cease-fire, however, has been poorly enforced, and Israel believes Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel, much of it stockpiled near the border.
"We don't need a new resolution. We just need to implement an existing one," said Katz, who will head to the United States later this month to press Israel's case.
"I think Hariri's resignation allows Israel to lead a process with the United Nations, with the Security Council, United States, France and other countries and demand to implement Resolution 1701," he said. "That first of all is a process we plan to lead."
Announcing his resignation last Saturday in a pre-recorded speech from Saudi Arabia, Hariri accused Iran of meddling in Arab affairs and Hezbollah of holding Lebanon hostage. Hezbollah has members in the Lebanese unity government that Hariri formed last year.
Hariri's surprise resignation has thrown Lebanon into turmoil, with many people accusing Saudi Arabia of carrying out a power play aimed at wrecking the unity deal with Hezbollah. On Thursday, Hariri's party in Lebanon demanded he return from Saudi Arabia, implying he was being held against his will.
Katz spoke before Thursday's accusations against Saudi Arabia, but discounted the possibility that the kingdom was behind his resignation. "I don't think they forced him to resign. The threat against him in Lebanon is concrete," Katz said.
Israel has long sought better enforcement of the UN cease-fire. But Katz said changing circumstances make the time ripe for diplomatic action.
He cited the strong support for Israel by the new US administration, the international jockeying for influence as the Syrian war moves toward an end and what he called Israel's "shared interests" with Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab countries who also feel threatened by Iran.
In a sign of progress for Israel, the Security Council under American pressure renewed the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon in September with new orders for more patrols and detailed reports on run-ins with Hezbollah.
Israel has largely stayed on the sidelines throughout the six-year Syrian war. But officials have acknowledged carrying out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria against suspected weapons shipments bound for Hezbollah.
Israel has been lobbying both the US and Russia, Syria's strongest ally, for safeguards that Iran and its allies will remain far from its borders in post-war Syria and that sophisticated weapons will not be able to reach Hezbollah.
Katz said Israel prefers diplomatic arrangements, but is ready to use military action if necessary.
"Israel has made clear what its red lines are and we will stand by those red lines," he said.
Muslim Civil War in Middle East Could Draw in Israel & U.S. - By Michael Snyder - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1764
People better start waking up and paying attention to what is happening in the Middle East, because the situation is becoming quite serious. If things go badly, we could be facing a major regional war which would involve not only Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also potentially the United States and Israel.
Yesterday, I quoted an article in the New York Times that warned that tensions between the Saudis and the Iranians were raising "the threat of a direct military clash between the two regional heavyweights". And now Jake Novak of CNBC is saying that a "direct conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as opposed to the proxy war they're fighting in Yemen, looks inevitable."
I put those last two words in bold so that there wouldn't be any confusion. In fact, Novak is warning that the Saudis "are marching ever closer towards a wider regional war".
Novak understands the dynamics of the Middle East, and he realizes where things could be headed if cooler heads do not prevail.
Saudi Arabia and Iran have already been fighting proxy wars against one another in Syria and Iran for quite a while, but a direct military conflict between the two could literally be a nightmare scenario.
One of the primary characters in this ongoing drama is Saudi Arabia's extremely hawkish crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. He hates Iran with a passion, and he has already said that he believes that a peace dialogue with Iran is impossible.
And over the past several days, events in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon have moved talk of war to the front burner...
First, the kingdom squarely blamed Iran for a missile attack on Riyadh from Yemen that was thwarted by the U.S.-made Patriot anti-missile system. The Saudis called that attack "direct military aggression by the Iranian regime and may be considered an act of war."
Second, the Saudis accused Lebanon of -- figuratively at least -- declaring "war" against it because of aggression from Hezbollah. That statement spurred even Saudi ally and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to publicly urge for calm.
And now Saudi Arabia has issued a notice for all it's citizens to leave Lebannon immediately.
In an article yesterday, I discussed the "purge" that is currently taking place in Saudi Arabia. Many believe that this purge is all about removing any potential obstacles to a war with Iran.
Mohammed bin Salman and his father have made dealing with Iran their number one strategic priority, and they have even enlisted the Israelis as allies in their cause...
As is already well-known, the Saudi and Israeli common cause against perceived Iranian influence and expansion in places like Syria, Lebanon and Iraq of late has led the historic bitter enemies down a pragmatic path of unspoken cooperation as both seem to have placed the break up of the so-called "Shia crescent" as their primary policy goal in the region.
For Israel, Hezbollah has long been its greatest foe, which Israeli leaders see as an extension of Iran's territorial presence right up against the Jewish state's northern border.
If Saudi Arabia and Iran go to war, it is probably inevitable that Hezbollah will strike Israel at the same time, thus getting the Israelis directly involved in the conflict.
Not only that, if a major regional war does erupt in the Middle East it would almost certainly mean that the U.S. would have to get involved as well. Here is more from Jake Novak of CNBC...
But if full blown war breaks out directly between the two countries, it's hard to see the U.S. being able to sit it out without at least some form increased weapons support and other aid. Then it will be up to Iran's possible allies, like Russia and China to make the next move.
If you are thinking that this sounds like the type of scenario that could cause World War III to erupt, you would be correct. Others nations such as Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey could easily be drawn in not to mention Russia.
The conflict between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam has a long and bitter history, and the bad blood between the Saudis and the Iranians is never going to subside until one side or the other ultimately prevails.
Let us hope that a "hot war" between Saudi Arabia and Iran does not erupt any time soon, because such a war would not be good for the United States whatsoever.
Pretty much every scenario that you can imagine ends with enormous numbers of innocent people dead, and such a conflict could ultimately be the spark that sets off World War III.
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Iran and Gulf nations prepare for war. Sudden reshuffle in Iran's top army, naval commands -
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir on Monday, Nov. 6 accused Iran of an "act of war" in reference to the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi missile attack on Riyadh airport Saturday.
On Sunday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei secretly ordered a significant reshuffle in the high commands of the Iranian army and navy. Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Dadras was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, with orders to boost the intelligence and operational preparedness of the Army. He came from the post of commander of ground forces.
In a separate notice, Khamenei promoted Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi to commander of the Navy, replacing Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, who was elevated to Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army for operational coordination.
DEBKAfile's military sources add: Sayari spent the last ten years developing the combat doctrine practiced by the Iranian Navy and Revolutionary Guards in the Gulf, which hinges on special forces, especially marines, for naval and ground warfare. He was responsible for the tactics and harassment that Iranian forces directed at US warships and warplanes operating in the Gulf.
Sayari hands these functions over to Rear Admiral Khanzadi, while himself joining the Army's General Staff as head of operations of Iran's armed forces.
Khamenei emphasized that all these appointments were approved by the chief of staff, Maj.-Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi.
This major reshuffle occurs at a time of high tension between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other. This week it rose to eve-of-war pitch.
Saud Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir accused Iran of orchestrating an "act of war" and asserted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had the right to defend itself. He went on to say: "The Iranians can't interfere in the affairs of countries in the region and expect to get a free pass. There is no doubt that missiles and suicide boats are coming from Iran to the Al Houthis.
"We want to avoid war [with Iran] at all costs," he said, but Iran continues to violate "every international law and every international norm." Iran is waging a war through its regional proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Al Houthis in Yemen, Jubair said, adding, "we must say enough is enough" to Iran.
The coming DEBKA Weekly out on Friday, Nov. 11, sheds light, with insights, on the mostly secret preparations underway in Iran, the Gulf Emirates and other parts of the region in the expectation of a flare-up of armed hostilities, that may infect other parts of the Middle East.
Is Saudi Arabia Heading for War with Iran? - By Michael Snyder - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1749
Is a major war in the Middle East looming on the horizon? Most of us living in the western world simply do not realize how much Saudi Arabia and Iran truly hate one another.
Saudi Arabia is the global center for Sunni Islam, and Iran is the global center for Shia Islam, and the two major sects of Islam have a history of bad blood that literally goes back for over a thousand years.
The Saudis and the Iranians are already engaged in "proxy wars" in Syria and in Yemen, and now a missile that was fired at Riyadh's international airport threatens to turn the conflict between the two regional powers into a hot war.
If you are tempted to think that I am exaggerating one bit, just consider what the New York Times is saying about this...
Saudi Arabia charged Monday that Iran had committed "a blatant act of military aggression" by providing its Yemeni allies with a missile fired at the Saudi capital over the weekend, raising the threat of a direct military clash between the two regional heavyweights.
The accusations represent a new peak in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran at a time when they are already fighting proxy wars in Yemen and Syria, as well as battles for political power in Iraq and Lebanon.
And Yahoo is reporting that the Saudis are saying that this missile attack "may amount to an act of war"...
On Monday, a Saudi-led military coalition battling Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen said it reserved the "right to respond" to the missile attack on Riyadh at the weekend, calling it a "blatant military aggression by the Iranian regime which may amount to an act of war".
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also warned Tehran.
"Iranian interventions in the region are detrimental to the security of neighbouring countries and affect international peace and security. We will not allow any infringement on our national security," Jubeir tweeted.
For those that have not grasped the implications of what I am saying yet, let me break this down very simply for you.
If Saudi Arabia and Iran go to war, the United States will be involved in that war on the side of the Saudis.
It would be a war unlike anything we have ever seen in the history of the Middle East, and it is almost a certainty that weapons of mass destruction would be used in such a war.
Essentially, what we are talking about is the potential for World War III to erupt in the Middle East.
And all of this comes at a time when the biggest "purge" in the modern history of Saudi Arabia is taking place...
A campaign of mass arrests of Saudi Arabian royals, ministers and businessmen expanded on Monday after a top entrepreneur was reportedly detained in the biggest anti-corruption purge of the kingdom's affluent elite in its modern history.
The reported arrest of Nasser bin Aqeel al-Tayyar followed the detention of dozens of top Saudis including billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in a crackdown that the attorney general described as "phase one".
The purge is the latest in a series of dramatic steps by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to assert Saudi influence internationally and amass more power for himself at home.
Some would say that the Saudis are "cracking down on corruption", while others would say that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "consolidating power" prior to going to war.
In any event, this situation deserves our full attention, because it could ultimately result in a major regional war in which the United States is directly involved.
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Israel Threatens to Enter Syria - Udi Shaham -
The resident of a Druze village in the Golan Heights was treated and the IDF is watching the developments of the battles at the Hader region across the border.
Following intensive fighting at Hader on Friday, on the Syrian-held section of Mount Hermon, which resulted in dozens of casualties, the IDF said it is willing to provide assistance and prevent the capture of the Druse village by anti-regime forces.
"In recent hours, we have witnessed intensified fighting in the area of the Druse village of Hader on the Syrian part of the Golan Heights," IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen.
Ronen Manelis said.
"The IDF is ready and prepared to assist the residents of the village, and will prevent the harming or conquering of the village of Hader because of our deep commitment to the Druse population."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen.
Gadi Eisenkot, Northern Command commander Maj.- Gen. Yoel Strick and Commander of the Bashan Division Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Ashur were assessing the situation, Manelis added.
A resident of Majdal Shams, in the southern foothills on the Israeli side of Mount Hermon, was wounded by spillover gunfire from the Syrian war.
Manelis also said claims of Israeli involvement and assistance to global jihad elements in the fighting on the Golan Heights are groundless.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is in London to mark the Balfour Declaration centennial, posted a statement on his Facebook page reading: "We guard our borders in the North and the South and maintain our support for our Druse brethren."
Nine Syrians were killed and about 25 wounded on Friday morning in two terrorist attacks in Hader, which is located 4 km. from the Israeli border, and approximately 15 km. from the Syrian city of Quneitra.
It was reported that the Sunni terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra announced that it was opening a campaign to capture Syrian Golan villages that are under the control of the Assad regime. The organization reportedly stressed that it would not harm the villagers, as long as they did not assist or support the Alawite regime.
Following the deadly attacks, hundreds of Druse residents of Israel gathered at the border to support their relatives on the Syrian side.
A group of Druse men briefly pushed through the security fence, breaching the border, and crossed into Syrian territory before being pursued and corralled back. The situation was then under control.
IDF officials met with Druse community leaders Friday evening to discuss the situation in Hader. Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druse community in Israel, and other Druse leaders said their community against taking online rumors at face value and acting harshly based on false information.
In the meeting, Tarif told Strick that he has "full confidence in you and in the IDF to protect the Druse [people] of Hader and to return things to the way they had been before, without Jabhat al-Nusra control [there]."
Kulanu MK Akram Hasson, a member of the Druse community who lost four family members in Friday's attack, said there are strong family ties between the Druse who live on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights and those living in Hader.
"Since this [Friday] morning I had held talks with [Druse] community leaders in Hader and top-ranking IDF officers and high officials in the [Israeli] security services, and I hope that a cease-fire will be achieved soon," Hasson said.
Due to the battles just over the Syrian border, the Israel Police said that, as a part of its general preparations on the Golan Heights, forces were deployed and stationed at major intersections in the North to protect Israeli residents.
Saudis, Iran on path to 'very, very bloody' war - Greg Corombos - http://www.wnd.com/2017/11/saudis-iran-on-path-to-very-very-bloody-war/
'This could get extraordinarily messy ... Israel may be drawn into it'
While the world tries to interpret Saudi Arabia's moves to clamp down on corruption and watches the kingdom accuse Iran of an "act of war," a former Reagan administration Pentagon official says Saudi Arabia is gearing up for the very real possibility of a "very, very bloody" war with Iran.
Within the past several days, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is next in line to the Saudi throne, has ordered the arrests of many government officials, including 11 princes, on allegations of corruption. More recently, the crown prince accused Iran of an "act of war" after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched an Iranian missile toward the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
The Houthis admit firing the missile, and Saudi investigators say the fragments prove the missile is from Iran. Furthermore, the Saudi-friendly prime minister of Lebanon abruptly resigned, and many other elements of the Lebanese government are loyal to the Shiite regime in Iran.
So are the events of the past week just the latest developments in an unstable region or something far more significant?
Frank Gaffney is president of the Center for Security Policy, and he served as an assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration. He said these recent events are very significant.
"Something is moving, for sure," Gaffney told WND and Radio America. "I think this is a lot bigger than chess pieces. I think this is nothing less than tectonic shifts taking place throughout the region."
Gaffney said Iran's goal of creating a "Shiite Crescent" is greatly disturbing to the Saudis. The crescent is a continuous stretch of Iranian-dominated areas that stretches from the southern end of the Red Sea through Yemen to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
He said Crown Prince Salman is bracing for a major fight to prevent Iran control of the entire region.
"I think what is teeing up, as I see it, is probably a very, very bloody war in that part of the world, and it may not be confined to that part of the world," Gaffney said.
He said the Iran threat is growing in multiple respects.
"The Iranians are establishing hegemonic control of large parts of this very strategically significant region," Gaffney said. "They aspire to do more, and I think they are willing to do everything from Shiite militia in Iraq and Syria through their own Quds force and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps."
He also also suspects Iran is prepared to use ballistic missiles with non-conventional warheads (chemical, biological or nuclear) in order to assert an iron grip on the region, and he would not be surprised to see the fighting spread to other parts of the Middle East.
"It could go beyond that," Gaffney explained. "Turkey is a factor in all of this. The central Asian republics beyond [are also at risk]. This could get extraordinarily messy, and then it goes without saying that Israel may be drawn into it."
So is this "tectonic shift" a result of the natural tides of history in the region, dating back to the Shiite-Sunni divide over a thousand years ago, or have specific policies accelerated the specter of an ugly sectarian war in the region?
Gaffney said the forces of history are obviously a major factor, but he said policy moves made in the Obama and George W. Bush administration are also coming back to haunt the neighborhood. Gaffney blasted Obama for the 2015 nuclear deal and slammed the Bush administration for eliminating the Iraq army in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The principle impediment to Iranian ambitions (the Iraqi army) was removed," Gaffney said. "The damage done during the Bush years in that respect has been greatly compounded by the policy of Barack Obama in greatly enhancing the power of the Iranian regime."
But why is the crown prince focused on rooting out corruption when so many national security concerns are on the front burner?
"It seems pretty clearly aimed not so much at dealing with the corrupt officials, because, if that were in fact the object, I think every single one of them would be rounded up. It's about power. It's about consolidating his hold on it before his father (King Salman) passes from the scene," said Gaffney.
"He's clearing the decks for action against the principal, and increasingly existential threat to the kingdom, which is the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added.
Gaffney insists that labeling Iran an "existential threat" against Saudi Arabia is not an exaggeration.
"If they don't do something about this, presumably with the help of the United States, they will be encircled and the resources on which they still rely on very heavily - namely the sale of petroleum - can be cut off at will through the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea by the Iranians or their proxies," he said.
Even with massive military resources courtesy of the U.S., Gaffney does not believe the Saudis can match the Iranians without help. He said Egypt and Jordan would be heavily recruited to join the fray, along with possible U.S. air power.
Her said the Saudis don't have the personnel to do the job.
"They've got an enormous amount of very advanced equipment," Gaffney said. "They just don't have many people who have either the skills or the will to wield it in defense of the kingdom or their interests more broadly."
As for the Trump administration's position as events unfold in the Middle East, Gaffney said the U.S. ought to be publicly on the side of the Saudis. However, he said the most important tactical policy is to stop Iran's nuclear program.
"Our interests at the moment lie with trying to deprive the Iranians of their nuclear and other ambitions," he said. "And that's going to be vastly harder today than it was before Barack Obama started greatly enabling those ambitions."
Rouhani Warns Saudi Arabia of Iran's 'Might' -
President Hassan Rouhani warned Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that it will achieve nothing by threatening the might of Iran, as a war of words between the regional heavyweights intensifies.
"You know the might and place of the Islamic republic. People more powerful than you have been unable to do anything against the Iranian people," Rouhani said.
"The United States and their allies have mobilized all their capabilities against us and achieved nothing."
Rouhani appeared to be alluding to the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88, in which revolutionary Iran successfully resisted an invasion by Saddam Hussein's regime supported by Gulf Arab and Western governments.
His comments came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused Iran of delivering missiles to Yemeni rebels for use against targets in the kingdom that he described as "direct military aggression."
Iran strongly denied supplying any missiles to the rebels saying that it would have been impossible to do so in any case in the face of a Saudi-led air and sea blockade.
Rouhani reiterated that Iran wanted a peaceful settlement of the conflict between the rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and of other wars around the region that have placed it at loggerheads with Riyadh.
"We want the welfare and development of Yemen, Iraq and Syria, and of Saudi Arabia too. There are no other paths forward than friendship, brotherhood and mutual assistance," he said.
"If you think that Iran is not your friend and that the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) are, you are making a strategic and analytical error."
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Saudi Arabia v Iran: What's behind bitter feud between Middle Eastern powers? -
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are on the rise as the two states have engaged in a bitter war of words over Yemen, Lebanon and Syria. RT explores key current conflicts between the two and the possibility of a full-blown war between Tehran and Riyadh.
On Monday, Riyadh said that an attack targeting Saudi territory that was launched by Yemeni Houthi rebels on Saturday was in fact orchestrated by Tehran, and denounced it as a "clear act of aggression." It also used the incident to accuse Iran of "aggression that targets neighboring countries, and threatens peace and security in the region and globally."
In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the Saudis of Iran's might, telling Riyadh on Wednesday that "those more powerful than you have failed to do anything against the Iranian nation." He also described the recent missile attack near Riyadh's international airport as "Yemeni people react[ing] to the bombardment of their country."
Regional conflicts
Riyadh and Tehran are engaged in a bitter dispute over Yemen, where the Saudi-led coalition is waging a military campaign against Shiite Houthi rebels in support of the ousted Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Riyadh accuses Iran of supplying weapons to the Houthis, which Tehran denies, although it admits it backs the rebel cause.
In another recent development, Saad Hariri, the prime minister of Lebanon, abruptly announced his resignation, citing fears of assassination and accusing Iran and its local ally, Shiite militant movement Hezbollah, of a "desire to destroy the Arab world." Days after his resignation, Riyadh accused Lebanon of "declaring war" on Saudi Arabia by allowing Hezbollah "aggression" against the Gulf kingdom. Meanwhile, some Lebanese authorities claim Hariri is now being "held" in Saudi Arabia.
Syria has also become major playfield for the two regional powers. While Iranian forces came to assist and train the Syrian Army following the request of Bashar Assad's government, the Saudis have emerged as one of the main backers of the Syrian armed opposition groups. In April, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir said that Iran has "no place in Syria or in any other part of the world."
The two states are also struggling for influence over neighboring Iraq. Tehran funded and trained the local Shiite militia, helping Iraq with its war on terrorism. The Saudis rushed to improve their relations with the Iraqi government, which had been damaged by Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
The two old foes are also engaged in a bitter war of words over alleged links to terrorism. In May, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud criticized Iran for its "extremist ideology" and ambitions to "control the Islamic world." Tehran responded by accusing Riyadh of "confrontational and destructive policies." It also claimed that it is Saudi Arabia that supports terrorist groups, including Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL).
Deep-rooted disagreements
Some of the origins of the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran are of religious nature and go back to a centuries-old doctrinal conflict within Islam: a more than 1,000-year-old argument between Sunnis and Shia.
Relations between the two countries have never been particularly friendly. However, their rapid deterioration could be traced back to the times of the Iranian 1979 Islamic Revolution, when a religious dispute was exacerbated by geopolitical and ideological differences.
The revolutionaries called for the overthrow of monarchies and their replacement with Islamic republics, raising concerns in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states, most of which are kingdoms. The leader of the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, questioned the legitimacy of the Saudi monarchy and accused it of protecting the interests of its Western allies rather than those of the Islamic world.
Relations between Tehran and Riyadh took another blow in 2011 during the Arab Spring, when Iran supported Shiite forces, while Saudi Arabia backed Sunni ones. In 2016, Riyadh severed diplomatic ties with Tehran after Iranian protesters set the Saudi embassy ablaze. The crowd was protesting Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, accused of inciting riots in the kingdom.
Outbreak of war 'not in Riyadh's interest'
The recent increase in tensions between Riyadh and Tehran is just a "war of words," Konstantin Dudarev, a Middle East expert and a specialist in Arabic studies, told RT, adding that Saudi Arabia's belligerent rhetoric is unlikely to be followed by real actions. The Saudi officials and particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have repeatedly stated that Riyadh is not interested in war with Tehran, he added.
"A war does not serve the interests of Saudi Arabia" as it declared "modernization and economic development its strategic goals," Dudarev said, adding that Riyadh would "do everything it can" to avoid an outbreak of conflict.
Udo Steinbach, a political analyst from the German Humboldt-Viadrina Governance Platform think tank, also doubted that the ongoing war of words between the Saudis and Iranians would lead to a real military conflict. However, he drew attention to the fact that the relations between the two regional powers have clearly deteriorated in recent months, which has negatively affected the political and security situation in the Middle East.
The analyst particularly said that the resignation of Lebanese PM Hariri, which he called "an indication of tense relations between the Saudis and Iran," could lead to the resumption of the Lebanese Civil War.
Kamel Wazne, a political analyst from Lebanon, believes that "the Saudis are not able to start a war against Iran unless [US] President Trump loses his mind and gets involved directly along with Israel in this war." Wazne also called Hariri "a victim" and "a hostage" of the rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh, arguing that the PM "does not believe that Lebanon is able to afford a regional confrontation."
The Iran-Hamas-Hezbollah Connection - by Khaled Abu Toameh - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11330/iran-hamas-hezbollah
The Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, has had enough. Last week, Iran finalized its takeover of Lebanon when Hariri resigned, and reportedly fled to Saudi Arabia.
Hariri, denouncing Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, said he feared for his life. Hariri has good reason to be afraid of Hezbollah, the powerful Shia terror group and Iranian proxy that effectively controls Lebanon.
Indications show that Iran and Hezbollah are also planning to extend their control to the Gaza Strip. Iran already provides Hamas with financial and military aid. It is precisely the support of Iran that has enabled Hamas to hold in power in the Gaza Strip for the past 10 years. It is also thanks to Iran that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another major terror group in the Gaza Strip, are in possession of thousands of missiles and rockets. It is Iranian money that allows Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to continue digging terror tunnels under the border with Israel.
Relations between Iran and Hamas have grown stronger in the past few weeks. Last month, a senior Hamas delegation visited Tehran to attend the funeral of the father of the senior Iranian security official, Qasem Soleimani. A few weeks earlier, another senior Hamas delegation visited Tehran to brief Iranian leaders on the latest developments surrounding the "reconciliation" agreement reached between Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA).
It was the first time senior Hamas officials visited Iran since relations between the two sides became strained in 2011. That year, Iran suspended its ties with Hamas over the latter's refusal to support Syria's dictator, Bashar Assad, against his opponents in its civil war. The sudden rapprochement between Hamas and Iran has raised concerns among Abbas and his Palestinian Authority officials regarding Hamas's sincerity in implementing the "reconciliation" agreement. President Abbas and his officials wonder why Hamas rushed into arms of Iran immediately after reaching the "reconciliation" accord under the auspices of the Egyptian authorities.
Iran and Hezbollah are no fans of Abbas and the Palestinian Authority. Abbas is terrified that Hamas is trying to bring Iran and its Hezbollah proxy into the Gaza Strip.
Abbas and his PA are eager to return to the Gaza Strip, but the presence of Iran there creates a serious problem. Like Hariri, Abbas would have good reason to fear for his life if Hamas brings the Iranians and Hezbollah into the Gaza Strip.
Abbas's fear is also not unjustified. Earlier this week, a senior Hamas official, Musa Abu Marzouk, disclosed that his movement and Hezbollah were working towards strengthening their relations. "Relations between Hamas and Hezbollah were never cut off," Abu Marzouk stated.
"We have ongoing contacts and understandings. But we preferred to keep them away from the spotlight. Hamas and Hezbollah are in one line in the fight against Israel, and we coordinate our positions regarding the Palestinian cause. Hamas will continue to cooperate with resistance groups that support the Palestinian resistance."
The alliance between Hamas and Hezbollah is a direct result of the renewed relations between Iran and Hamas. With the help of Hezbollah, Iran has managed to take control of large parts of Syria. With the help of Hezbollah, Iran already controls Lebanon. Now that the Iranians have sole control over Lebanon, their eyes are set on the Gaza Strip. They know that the only way to access the Gaza Strip is through the Hamas door. Iran wants to see Hezbollah inside the Gaza Strip. Hamas, for its part, is thirsting for Iranian resources. Hamas knows that it will have to pay a price: allowing Iran and Hezbollah to set foot in the Gaza Strip. Judging from the remarks of Abu Marzouk, Hamas appears to be happy to pay the price.
Hariri, Abbas and many Sunni Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, felt betrayed by the Obama Administration's policy of détente towards Iran -- a policy that emboldened the Iranians and gave them a green light to meddle in the internal affairs of Arab countries to try to establish, as they seem to have done, a "Shiite Crescent" from Persia through Yemen and now Lebanon, clear to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Sunni Arabs are apparently particularly worried about the nuclear deal signed between the Obama Administration and Iran. They feel that the Obama Administration's attempt to appease the Iranians has emboldened the country that is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism. Iran has since taken advantage of the nuclear deal to threaten and try to terrorize America, its friends and its Arab allies.
Abbas has multiple reasons to be worried about the Hamas-Hezbollah alliance. Here is another one: a recent meeting in Beirut between Hamas leader Saleh Arouri and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was yet another sign of Hamas's effort to pave the way for Iran and Hezbollah to infiltrate the Gaza Strip and meddle in the internal affairs of the Palestinians.
A recent meeting in Beirut between Hamas leader Saleh Arouri (left) and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah (right) was another sign of Hamas's effort to pave the way for Iran and Hezbollah to infiltrate the Gaza Strip. (Image source: Hezbollah via Al Manar)
Hamas has already stated repeatedly that it has absolutely no intention of laying down its weapons as promised for the "reconciliation" agreement with the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is prepared to cede to PA President Mahmoud Abbas limited civilian control of the Gaza Strip, but has been clear that it will never dismantle its security apparatus or military wing. Hamas wants to bring the Iranians and Hezbollah into the Gaza Strip to counterbalance pressure from Abbas and Egypt and other countries to disarm and hand control over to Abbas. If Abbas ever returns to the Gaza Strip, he will find himself sitting not only with Hamas, but also with Iran and Hezbollah, who consider him a traitor and puppet in the hands of Israel and the US.
Alarmed by the rapprochement between Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran, Saudi Arabia earlier this week summoned Abbas for urgent talks in Riyadh. The Saudis have been following with concern the visits by Hamas leaders to Iran and Hezbollah, and are worried that Abbas may face the same fate as Hariri.
Abbas may well wish to steer clear of the Gaza Strip: Iran and Hezbollah are working with Hamas to establish a "joint front" against Israel. Hamas's decision to tilt towards Iran and Hezbollah discloses the truth: it is not headed towards moderation and pragmatism, but the very opposite. This does not bode well for the current Trump Administration's efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
Without stopping Iran and Hezbollah from spreading their influence and control to the Gaza Strip and Arab countries, the prospects of peace seem rather dim. In fact, the prospects of war seem pretty close, as Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad meet in the middle to discuss their plans for war against Israel. Failing to stop Iran and Hezbollah would mean that Abbas may soon find themselves hiding with Hariri in Saudi Arabia.
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