US/Israel-Iran War: Saudi Arabia threatens retaliatory attacks against Iran

Saudi Arabia has threatened to carry out retaliatory attacks on Iran in response to Iranian attacks on its territory.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Faisal Al Saud, said his country reserves the right to take military action against Iran if necessary, following attacks on two petroleum refineries in the Saudi capital, Al Jazeera reports.

The minister spoke to reporters after a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers in Riyadh late Wednesday.

He said Iran must “review its misjudgements”, stressing that such attacks will not bring Tehran any gains.

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The minister said Iran “doesn’t believe in talking to its neighbours” and instead “tries to pressure its neighbours”, adding that this approach will not succeed and will “backfire politically and morally” on Tehran, Al Jazeera reports.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that Iran targeted major gas infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE in retaliation for Israeli and American strikes on its gas facilities.

Iran had warned the Gulf countries that it would retaliate against their gas facilities for the attacks on its petroleum infrastructure.

In Qatar, QatarEnergy said the Ras Laffan Industrial City was targeted with missiles that caused widespread fires and extensive damage.

The site was earlier evacuated after Iran said it would target the facility and four others across the Middle East, in retaliation for Israeli and American attacks on its gas fields.

In the UAE, the government shut down the Habshan gas facilities in Abu Dhabi after an Iranian attack.

Iran has targeted American interests in the Gulf since the US and Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran. Iran argues that the US continues to use Gulf territory, including their airspace, for attacks, thus making the Gulf countries legitimate targets. It also hopes that its attack on the Gulf countries would get them to pressure their American ally into a ceasefire.

The Saudi threat is the strongest indication yet that the countries are getting fed up with the Iranian attacks. They have, so far, only defended their territories from such attacks.

The Saudi minister’s tone, however, suggests they prefer diplomacy to retaliatory attacks.

The US and Israel’s war on Iran has led to over 1,500 deaths, the majority of them in Iran.