Saudi Arabian authorities have raised the alarm on a potential Iran attack, prompting the United States government to issue a statement that it will not hesitate to respond if deemed necessary.
On Tuesday, a White House spokesperson said that the American government was concerned about the possibility of a threat. The National Security Council spokesperson added that they remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis regarding the matter.
Iranian Threat on Saudi Arabia
The official made the remarks after reports that Saudi Arabia shared intelligence with the American government, warning of an imminent attack from Iran on targets in the kingdom. The US has noted that Iran supplied Russia with drones that the latter used in its war against Ukraine, as per Fox News.
The cooperation between those two nations prompted Washington to set aside efforts to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. In recent weeks, President Joe Biden has been at odds with Saudi Arabia following the Saudi-led OPEC+ organization announcing its cut of oil production.
Another US official noted that F-22 fighter jets were already deployed in Saudi Arabia and were available to counter any threats. The first official added that there has been no increase in US military protection levels in the region.
This comes as the US military is not believed to be a target of Iran and State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday that the US was monitoring the situation. During a department briefing, Price said that he was not aware of any public warnings through the embassy about a threat.
According to CNN, the American government believes that the situation is Iran trying to focus attention on Saudi Arabia, which the former has accused of helping fuel protests. On the other hand, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder did not confirm whether or not there is currently a specific threat.
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Rising International Tensions
However, Ryder noted that the Pentagon remains "concerned about the threat situation in the region," and added that the department was constantly communicating with Saudi partners. The situation comes as Iran is seen as Saudi Arabia's chief regional rival.
Previously, Riyadh severed official diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2016 following Iranian protesters storming the Saudi embassy in Tehran. The protests were in response to Saudi Arabia's execution of a Shiite cleric.
Furthermore, Iran-backed Houthi rebels also struck oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent years, which has raised concerns that energy infrastructure could be a potential target for any Iranian provocations in the region.
In recent months Iranian and Saudi officials have met quietly to discuss security issues, including the war in Yemen waged between the Houthis and a Saudi-backed military coalition. However, a fragile truce between the two parties involved expired last month, which paved the way to newly heightened tensions.
The situation comes as Iran recently attacked northern Iraq with dozens of ballistic missiles and armed drones since late September. One of the strikes was shot down by a US warplane while it was on its way to the city of Erbil, where American troops were based, the Wall Street Journal reported.
