Exclusive-Saudi has told Iran not to attack it, warns of possible retaliation, sources say
By Samia Nakhoul and Parisa Hafezi
March 7 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has told Tehran that it favors a diplomatic solution to Iran’s conflict with the United States, but continued attacks on the kingdom and its energy sector could push Riyadh to respond in kind, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The message was delivered ahead of a speech on Saturday in which Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian apologized to neighboring Gulf states for Tehran’s actions; This was a clear attempt to calm regional anger over Iran’s attacks on civilian targets.
Sources said that two days ago, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and made Riyadh’s position clear.
Sources stated that Saudi Arabia is open to all kinds of mediation aimed at reducing tensions and reaching a negotiated solution, underlining that neither Riyadh nor other Gulf countries allow the United States to use their airspace or territory to launch air strikes on Iran.
However, sources also quoted Prince Faisal as saying that if Iran’s attacks on Saudi territory or energy infrastructure continue, Saudi Arabia will have to allow US forces to use its bases there for military operations. The official said Riyadh would retaliate if attacks on the kingdom’s critical energy facilities continue.
The sources said the kingdom has remained in regular contact with Tehran through its ambassador since the US and Israel began military action against Iran on February 28 after talks on Iran’s nuclear program failed.
The Saudi and Iranian foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
DRONE AND MISSILE ATTACKS ON GULF STATES
The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia came under heavy Iranian drone and missile fire last week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war. Tehran responded by striking Israel and Gulf Arab states that host US military installations, and Israel attacked Lebanon’s Iran-backed armed Hezbollah group.
Araqchi said in an interview on Saturday that he was in constant contact with his Saudi counterpart and other Saudi officials, adding that Riyadh had assured Tehran that it was fully determined not to allow its territory, waters or airspace to be used for attacks against Iran.
Pezeshkian said Iran’s interim leadership council approved the suspension of attacks on nearby countries as long as there is no attack on Iran from those countries.
“I personally apologize to neighboring countries affected by Iran’s actions,” he said.
It is unclear to what extent Pezeshkian’s words indicate a change. There were other reports of attacks on Gulf countries on Saturday.
Additionally, in a sign of possible divisions within the Iranian leadership, Hatem al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified combatant command of the Iranian armed forces, said in a later statement that US and Israeli bases and interests in the region would remain targets.
The command said that the Iranian armed forces respect the sovereignty and interests of neighboring states and have not taken any actions against them so far. However, it was stated that the US and Israel’s land, sea and air military bases and assets in the region will be considered as the primary target and will face “strong and heavy” attacks from Iranian forces.
In his social media post, US President Donald Trump said that Iran “apologized and surrendered to its neighbors in the Middle East and promised not to open fire on them anymore. This promise was made only due to the relentless attack of the USA and Israel.”
Two Iranian sources confirmed that a call was made in which Riyadh warned Tehran to stop attacks on Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf countries. They said Iran reiterated its position that the attacks were not targeting Gulf countries, but US interests and military bases hosted on the territory of these countries.
An Iranian source said Tehran responded by demanding that US bases in the region be closed and that some Gulf countries stop sharing intelligence with Washington that Iran believes is being used to carry out attacks against it.
Another Iranian source stated that some military commanders were pressuring the attacks to continue and accused the USA of using the bases in the Gulf countries and the airspace of these countries to conduct operations against Iran.
In recent years, Iran has mended relations with its Gulf neighbors, including its former regional arch-rival Saudi Arabia. The diplomatic campaign was sparked by a drone and missile attack launched by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard last week.
(Edited by Timothy Heritage)
