With oil prices set to soar after the midterms as the SPR drain ends and markets no longer have desperate democrats to help fulfill their immediate energy needs, moments ago the WSJ unveiled another potential oil price powder keg, so to speak, when it reported that according to Saudi and U.S. officials, Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with the U.S. warning of an imminent attack from Iran on targets in the kingdom, putting the American military and others in the Middle East on an elevated alert level.The report goes on to note that Iran is poised to carry out attacks on both the kingdom and Erbil, Iraq, in an effort to distract attention from domestic protests that have roiled the country since September.
In response to the warning, Saudi Arabia – which until recently was on the Biden admin “naughty list” after the crown prince snubbed Biden’s demands for no OPEC+ output cut – the U.S. and several other neighboring states have raised the level of alert for their military forces, the officials said. They didn’t provide more details on the Saudi intelligence.
Separately, the White House National Security Council said it was concerned about the warnings and ready to respond if Iran carried out an attack.
“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” said a National Security Council spokesperson. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”
It wasn’t exactly clear how attacking Saudi Arabia and launching a war with a far better armed opponent would “distract attention” from Iran’s internal troubles, but what is very clear is that if Saudi Arabia wanted to send the oil price soaring, it wouldn’t use another OPEC+ cut but would simply take production offline indefinitely; and if it can arrange Iran to help out… well, why not.
Iran has allegedly attacked northern Iraq with dozens of ballistic missiles and armed drones in recent weeks, one of which was shot down by a U.S. warplane as it headed toward the city of Erbil, where American troops are based. Tehran has publicly blamed Iranian Kurdish separatist groups based there for fomenting the unrest at home.
Iranian authorities have also publicly accused Saudi Arabia, along with the U.S. and Israel, of instigating the demonstrations.
While there is no indication at this point that this report is anything more than just Intel agency jawboning and propaganda, if it does in fact escalate into another Persian Gulf powderkeg, watch how high the price of oil will shoot to.
- U.S. security officials are ‘concerned’ about potential threats from Iran, following report Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence of an ‘imminent’ threat from its rival
- The U.S. is signaling that the country won’t hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday
- The Wall Street Journal reported Iran was also planning to step up attacks on Erbil in Northern Iraq, with the attacks meant to distract from turmoil inside Iran
By GEOFF EARLE DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 16:54 EDT, 1 November 2022 | UPDATED: 16:54 EDT, 1 November 2022
U.S. security officials are ‘concerned’ about potential threats from Iran, following a report that Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence of an ‘imminent’ threat from its rival.
The U.S. is signaling that the country won’t hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday.
‘We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,’ said the spokesperson from the National Security Council. ‘We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.’
The official spoke after the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with the United States warning of an imminent attack from Iran on targets in the kingdom.
The paper reported that Iran was also planning to step up attacks on Erbil in Northern Iraq, with the attacks meant to distract from turmoil inside Iran amid ongoing domestic protests.
Iranian protesters defied a deadly crackdown by security forces against nearly six weeks of women-led protests, as Tehran vowed to punish those behind a mass shooting
U.S. security officials are ‘concerned’ about potential threats from Iran, following a report that Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence of an ‘imminent’ threat from its rival
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The United States has said Iran has supplied Russia with drones for use in its war against Ukraine, prompting Washington to set aside efforts to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal, which then-President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018.
Western officials say Iran is planning to send more of the killer drones, CNN reported Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia’s warning comes amid deep strains in the relationship with the U.S., which helps ensure security both through its military presence and through multi-billion arms sales of advanced weaponry.
President Joe Biden and his administration in recent weeks have been fuming over Saudi-led OPEC+ organization’s decision to cut oil output, which raised fears of a gasoline price spike in the United States.
The administration considers the move, which got announced weeks before the elections here, a boon to Russia’s war on Ukraine since Moscow relies on energy exports to pay its bills.
Iran’s export of drones to Russia has helped reshape the war, with Russia using the technology, according to US officials, to wreak havoc on Ukrainian domestic infrastructure like water and power plants.
Above is the aftermath of an Iranian drone attack in Iraq’s Kurdistan region
A view of the headquarters of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (Komalah) destroyed by drones of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq’s Kurdistan region, 28 September 2022
Tehran also has been launching missiles and drones at Northern Iraq, with U.S. forces shooting down one missile as it headed toward Erbil. Iran blames activities by Iranian Kurdish separatist groups.
Iran continues to crack down in an effort to keep a lid on protests that have raged for weeks. It has charged an estimated 1,000 people in Tehan province for protesting Amini’s death while in policy custody after being arrested by ‘morality police,’ IRNA reported Monday. Trials are set to begin in the coming days, it reported.
Tehran has blamed Saudi Arabia for meddling in its own ‘internal affairs’ through Saudi-backed Farsi language news sites providing coverage of the protests.
