A senior Saudi official told Al-Arabiya on Friday morning that intelligence indicates Iranian-backed proxy groups, including the Houthis in Yemen, Iraqi militias, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are coordinating preparations for attacks against the kingdom. The official added that Saudi Arabia will respond to any aggression with all necessary means. The report has not been independently verified.
A senior Saudi official told Al-Arabiya on Friday morning that intelligence assessments indicate Iranian-backed proxy groups, including the Houthis in Yemen, Iraqi Shia militias, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are coordinating preparations for attacks against the kingdom. The official added that Saudi Arabia will respond to any aggression with all necessary means. The statement, published at 09:19 Jerusalem, expands on an earlier warning from the same source at 06:48 Jerusalem, which first alerted that Iran and its proxies were preparing an attack.
The warning follows a series of reports from Saudi officials throughout the night of Thu Aug 6, 23:37 Jerusalem. The initial report identified Iran as coordinating with the Houthis and Iraqi militias. Subsequent reports from a Saudi official to CNN specified that the IRGC is directly coordinating the effort, that potential targets include ports, airports, and energy facilities, and that Saudi briefings detected movement of missiles and drones. The new statement confirms the involvement of the IRGC and Iraqi militias and adds a direct threat of retaliation.
The reports come amid a broader pattern of Iranian-backed activity against the kingdom. As The Zioneer has reported, Iraqi Shia militias recently joined Houthi strikes on Saudi oil facilities, including the Abqaiq processing plant, and satellite imagery confirmed fires. Saudi Arabia has been reportedly preparing a large-scale military operation against the Houthis in Yemen. Jordan has been on high alert following intelligence of planned attacks by the Hashd al-Shaabi militia. The current warning underscores the multi-front threat from Iranian-backed forces.
The report is based on a single official source and has not been independently verified.
10 developments
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia prepares 'violent wave' of strikes against Houthis, warns of Iranian attack plans
- DevelopingHouthis claim joint retaliation with Iran's IRGC against Israel being prepared
- StrongHouthis attacked Saudi Arabia from Iraq this week, Reuters says
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia takes Iran, Houthi threats 'very seriously,' regional sources say
Source and signal
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