Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of responsibility for Houthi missile fired on Riyadh

LATEST

Saudi Arabia has stepped up rhetoric of a war with Iran, following the firing of a ballistic missile towards Riyadh by Yemen’s Houthi insurgents.

The official Saudi outlet wrote on Monday of the “flagrant military aggression by the Iranian-controlled Houthi militias” and said that an examination of the debris “confirmed the role of Iran’s regime in manufacturing [this and a previous missile] and smuggling them to the Houthi militias in Yemen for the purpose of attacking the Kingdom, its people, and vital interests”.

The statement continued:

Iran’s role and its direct command of its Houthi proxy in this matter constitutes a clear act of aggression that targets neighboring countries, and threatens peace and security in the region and globally.

Therefore, the Coalition’s Command considers this a blatant act of military aggression by the Iranian regime, and could rise to be considered as an act of war against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities said they would temporarily close all Yemeni ground, air, and sea ports while investigating the smuggling of the missiles into the country. Yemen’s national airline, Yemenia, subsequently cancelled all flights.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom reserves the right to respond to the “hostile actions” of Iran, whom he said is harming neighboring countries and international peace and security with its interference.

Later in the day, another Saudi minister accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah of declaring war against the kingdom.

Thamer al-Sabhan, the Minister for Persian Gulf Affairs, told al-Arabiya TV that Hezbollah, a close Iranian ally, had committed acts of aggression that “were considered acts of a declaration of war against Saudi Arabia by Lebanon”.

Last weekend Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a televised statement from Saudi Arabia, throwing Beirut’s coalition government — which includes Hezbollah — into uncertainty.

See Iran Daily, Nov 5: Lebanon PM Hariri Quits, Blames Tehran for Interference

The next day, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) insurgents, who control Yemen’s capital Sana’a and much of the country, fired a ballistic missile on Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in March 2015, including airstrikes which have killed many hundreds of civilians and a blockade which has restricted food and supplies to Houthi-controlled areas. Riyadh accuses Iran of providing military support, including missiles, to Ansar Allah — a claim denied by Tehran.

Iran: Saudi “Wars of Aggression”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded on Twitter on Monday:

He said the Saudis were “killing 1000’s of innocents including babies” with its military intervention in Yemen as it “spreads cholera and famine”.

The Foreign Ministry said the Saudi claims that Iran was behind Sunday’s missile fired on Riyadh were “destructive, irresponsible, provocative, and baseless”.

Why Did Supreme Leader Dismiss Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces?

It is still unclear why the Supreme Leader dismissed the deputy commander of the Iranian military on Sunday.

Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed Brig. Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, less than a year after he assumed the post. Significantly, Pourdastan was not given another position.

Before becoming the deputy commander, Pourdastan was commander of Iran’s ground forces for more than 20 years.

Khamenei named Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Dadras as Pourdastan’s replacement. The Supreme Leader also replaced Iran’s long-serving commander of the navy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari — who was named Deputy Coordinator of the Iranian Army — with Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi.