Israel-Saudi exchange comments on Iran’s attack
Last Updated on April 18, 2024 8:51 am
Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on April 13. The country attacked with more than three hundred missiles and drones. However, Israeli media KAN News claims that Saudi Arabia has worked to protect Israel from Iran’s hundreds of drone and missile attacks. However, several close Saudi sources related to the matter have denied the claim of Saudi Arabia taking steps to protect Israel.
This information was reported by Saudi Arabia’s state-owned newspaper Al-Arabiya.
Arab News, another newspaper of the country, says that the news was published a day ago in the Israeli press citing a Saudi Arabian official website. It says that Saudi Arabia has joined the defense alliance to protect Israel from Iranian attacks. But Saudi Arabia’s state sources have denied this information.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s official website said that Saudi Arabia has cooperated with a military coalition consisting of Israel, the United States, Jordan, the United Kingdom and France in addition to using its own air defense system to destroy drones and missiles launched by Iran.
As the reason for the cooperation, KAN News said, Saudi Arabia believes that Iran has been planning to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza since the start of the conflict and that the recent attacks carried out by Tehran are part of that plan.
Multiple Saudi sources told Al-Arabiya that the website citing Saudi involvement in preventing attacks by Iran against Israel does not actually have any such official website.
On April 13, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israeli territory. Before that, on April 1, Israel attacked the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Several military officers including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the senior commander of Quds Force, the elite wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, were killed in the attack.
Iran launched hundreds of drone and missile attacks on Israel in retaliation for the attack on Damascus. However, Tel Aviv has demanded that most of Iran’s drones and missiles be destroyed before they reach Israeli territory. Tehran said Israeli military targets were attacked. On the other hand, the Israeli army has declared that 99 percent of missiles and drones fired by Iran have been destroyed.
After this attack, Iran has informed the world leaders that it does not want to increase the heated situation caused by the Israeli attack. At the same time, if any new aggression is carried out on Iran’s interests, Tehran has threatened to respond immediately.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Tuesday, “We clearly declare that the slightest action by any criminal against Iranian interests must be met with a harsh, comprehensive and painful response.”
And Israel’s military chief of staff, Harji Halevi, said that Iran’s attack on Israel will be carried out in retaliation for the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1. It is absolutely certain. He commented that Israel has already informed the countries of the Arab world about this.