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  • Iran-Israel conflict poses an existential risk for Lebanon, unless Biden can intervene

    Iran's failed attack on Israel may have sealed Lebanon's fate. Israel undoubtedly has come out the winner in the latest exchange, having killed several key commanders who are said to have played a role in directing Iran's regional network of Arab militias to help Hamas fight Israel in Gaza and help Hezbollah prepare for a potential Israeli attack.

    Israel suffered no fatalities, few injuries and very little damage in the Iranian barrage of over 300 projectiles aimed at military facilities. The US estimates about 140 of the drones and missiles failed due to malfunctions. US forces downed most of the remaining 160 projectiles, with the UK, France, Jordan and Israel's own Iron Dome antimissile system also involved.

  • Commentary: Israel-Iran Confrontation Forces Gulf Powers to Choose Sides

    Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Persian Gulf states have tried to avoid taking a position on America’s geopolitical rivalries in recent years, staying neutral in the Ukraine war and building ties with China. With Israel and Iran in open conflict, they might be forced to choose a side.

    Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates struggled to stay on the sidelines when it became clear last week that Iran would attack Israel in retaliation for a strike in Syria that killed senior Iranian military officers.

  • U.S., Not Israel, Shot Down Most Iran Drones And Missiles

    The extent of the U.S. military operation is unbeknownst to the American public, but the Pentagon coordinated a multination, regionwide defense extending from northern Iraq to the southern Persian Gulf on Saturday. During the operation, the U.S., U.K., France, and Jordan all shot down the majority of Iranian drones and missiles. In fact, where U.S. aircraft originated from has not been officially announced, an omission that has been repeated by the mainstream media.

  • UK’s Cameron, in Israel, says Israelis have decided to retaliate against Iran

    Israel has clearly decided to retaliate against Iran for missile and drone attacks, Britain's foreign minister David Cameron said during a visit to Israel on Wednesday, the starkest warning yet of another volley coming in regional escalation.
    World powers are striving to prevent a wider outbreak of conflict in the Middle East after Iran's attacks on Saturday night, which involved hundreds of missiles and drones, the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel after decades of confrontation by proxies.

  • Opinion: The Question Of Iran For Saudi Arabia

    GCC countries have long since learned to watch Iranian actions, not listen to its words, when judging its behavior. And Tehran’s actions in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and particularly in Yemen, even after the reestablishment of diplomatic ties, have confirmed its malign intentions toward the Gulf. Ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei have often and directly criticized the governments of the GCC as being illegitimate, as do their proxies across the Arab world.

  • Top Saudi diplomat says Mideast can’t afford more conflict amid Iran-Israel tensions

    Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday that the Middle East cannot afford further conflict, amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.

    Speaking at a press conference with his Pakistani counterpart during a visit to Islamabad, Prince Faisal urged all parties to prioritize de-escalation.

    Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles, including from its own territory, targeting Israel in retaliation for a deadly strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.

  • Decoding Oil’s Perplexing Reaction to Iran’s Attack on Israel

    Oil’s surge over the past month has already built in the geopolitical risk premium from the Middle East. A move higher will most likely depend on whether Israel decides to retaliate, and if the movement of real oil cargoes are actually disrupted.

    Moreover, if things get uglier in the region, Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ allies are holding more than 5 million barrels a day of spare production capacity — roughly twice the output of Kuwait — to fill any gaps. The group has pledged to remain vigilant if markets tighten this summer.

  • Top US, Saudi military generals hold call after Iran attack

    Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili held a phone call with Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. to discuss international allies and the security situation in the Middle East following Iran’s attack on Israel, Joint Staff Spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey announced on Monday.

    The two officials highlighted the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.

  • Jordan’s Stability in Spotlight Following Iran’s Attack on Israel

    Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and the prospect of escalating hostilities has threatened to embroil Jordan, a key Western ally and a country regarded by Gulf states as pivotal to their own security. When the Islamic Republic fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday night, Jordan helped shoot down some that flew over its capital Amman, with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi saying the kingdom saw the projectiles as posing “a real danger” to its territory.

  • Sources deny Saudi Arabia’s participation in intercepting Iranian attacks on Israel

    Informed sources denied to Al Arabiya on Monday Saudi Arabia’s participation in intercepting Iranian drones during its attack on Israel on Saturday. Israeli news websites had published statements attributed to an official Saudi website stating that the Kingdom participated in the recent defense coalition that confronted the Iranian attacks. “There is no official website that published a statement about Saudi participation in intercepting attacks against Israel,” the sources told Al Arabiya.