Saudi Arabia privately warned Tehran that ongoing Iranian strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure could force Riyadh to grant U.S. forces access to Saudi military bases.
Riyadh Draws A Red Line
Reuters, citing sources, said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan delivered the ultimatum directly to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, days before Iranian President Pezeshkian publicly apologized to neighboring Gulf states Saturday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day when the U.S.-Israeli military campaign launched attacks following the nuclear talks’ collapse.
Since then, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia have all sustained drone and missile fire.
Iran Says US, Israel Remain Primary Targets
According to the report, Iran’s unified military command separately warned that U.S. and Israeli regional assets remain primary targets — a potential sign of divisions with Pezeshkian’s softer public tone.
Earlier, Saudi defenses intercepted 20 drones targeting Aramco’s 1 million-barrel-per-day Shaybah oilfield, while the Berri field, which produces about 250,000 barrels per day, sustained minor damage from debris.
Since March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia, once fierce rivals in regional power conflicts, have been cautiously normalizing relations through a process mediated by China.
Although diplomatic ties have been restored and high-level meetings have taken place, the relationship remains unstable because of lingering mistrust, competition for influence in the region and divergent alliances.
Photo: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Recent Comments