THE MIDDLE EAST

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THE GUARDIAN

"Senator raises alarm Saudis could share US defence technology with Russia"


Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington

17 OOCTOBER 2022

A senior Democratic lawmaker has raised alarms about the possibility that sensitive US defense technology could be shared with Russia by Saudi Arabia in the wake of the kingdom’s recent decision to side with Moscow over the interests of the US.

Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate armed services committee who has proposed a one-year freeze on weapons sales to Saudi following Opec+’s decision to cut oil production, said he would “dig deeper into the risk” in discussions with the Pentagon.

“I want some reassurances that they are on top of it and if there are risks, I want to determine what can be done to mitigate those risks immediately,” Blumenthal said in an interview with the Guardian.

The comments show the depth of the rift that has emerged between the Saudi monarchy and Democrats in Washington, who have reacted with fury against a recent decision by the Opec oil cartel to begin cutting oil production next month by 2m barrels a day.

The decision was seen in the US capital as a sign of Riyadh siding with Russia in its war with Ukraine, and as a possible attempt to hurt Joe Biden and Democrats ahead of next month’s critical midterm election by raising the price of petrol at the pump.


Both Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress have expressed frustration with the move and called for a realignment in the Saudi relationship, with the US president warning that Saudi would face “consequences” for the move.

On Sunday, the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said President Biden will act “methodically” in re-evaluating the relationship, but options include changes to security assistance to the major oil producer.

While Republicans on Capitol Hill have been far less vocal about the Opec+ move, Blumenthal said his discussions with colleagues indicated there would be bipartisan support for measures to curb weapons sales, which is an issue likely to be taken up formally next month.

Blumenthal has also suggested that one of his primary areas of concern was making sure that Russia would not benefit from the sensitive technology that has been shared with US partners in Riyadh.

“We are going to be consulting with the Pentagon, speaking to them very frankly about their assessment of the risk in the transfer of technology in advanced weapons systems made already,” he said.

“I am not leaping to any conclusions but it needs to be a consideration that is heightened.”

The senator also said he supported proposals to shift weapons that are currently in Saudi Arabia, and those en route, to allies in Ukraine.

Some analysts have noted that the transfer of weapons to Ukraine would be complicated by the fact that they require US personnel to operate the systems, which would represent an untenable escalation.

Blumenthal emphasised that he was not suggesting that any US personnel would train Ukraine forces in Ukraine, but that it was possible to do so outside the country.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at Yale School of Management who has studied arms sales to Saudi and is sharing his research with Senate Democrats, said he has found that the last five years have seen an “unparalleled outsourcing” of the most sensitive US weapons to the kingdom.

“We have no allies including Canada, UK, Israel and Australia with such a unique security partnership as the Saudis, providing them with ownership and local manufacturing capability of our most sensitive strategic weapons,” he said, adding that the arrangements began in 2017, under the Trump administration.

“There has been no public discussion of the impact of this alarming weaponry handoff to the Saudis for self-sufficiency with no US control in the near future,” he said.

Jeff Abramson, a senior fellow at the Arms Control Association, said Saudi Arabia had been a major purchaser of US military equipment, including some of its most sophisticated weapons systems, for decades.

“It is plausible that the Saudis have information about those weapons that the United States would not want shared with Russia,” he said.

“The truth is that the United States supplies weapons to many undemocractic regimes around the globe, with potential sharing of defence information just one of many concerns about how those relationships may harm, rather than help, national and global peace and security.”

It is not clear whether Democrats’ rhetoric will lead to action.

Biden entered the White House after having promised to treat Saudi crown prince like a “pariah”, but later traveled to Jeddah and gave the Saudi heir a fist bump.


Asked about Democrats’ intentions, Blumenthal said: “You know the old saying ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’?”

“Feelings have reached a different point."

"Saudis brought the president to Saudi Arabia to talk about the whole relationship and we need to rebalance the entire diplomatic and military relationship because it has been so one-sided."

"This action – siding with the Russians in this manner – is so dramatic."

"I think it calls for a response,” he said.

“The human rights violations inside Saudi Arabia, the fostering of civil war in Yemen, the disrespect for 9/11 families seeking justice, there’s a parade of insults and injuries here [and] now in some ways Saudi Arabia has crossed a line,” he added.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, said on Twitter that the decision by OPEC+ to cut oil output was made unanimously for “purely” economic reasons.

The statement echoed a position from last week in which the Saudi foreign ministry rejected criticism of its Opec+ decision and insisted the cartel had acted with unanimity and in its own economic interest.

It also rejected any assumption that it could be forced into a policy U-turn.

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/se ... 3465fff72a
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REUTERS

"Saudi, China agree to strengthen energy cooperation - SPA"


Reuters

October 21, 2022

DUBAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and the director of China's National Energy Administration Zhang Jianhua on Friday said they would strengthen their ties in the energy sector, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

The officials spoke in a teleconference call and stressed the importance of stable long-term supplies to crude oil markets, SPA said.


The Saudi minister reaffirmed earlier on Friday from New Delhi that OPEC+ is doing the right job to ensure stable and sustainable oil markets.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have been at odds since a decision by OPEC+ group of oil producers, of which Saudi is the de facto leader, to cut output even after the Biden administration sought to stay OPEC's hand for a month with an eye on U.S. mid-term elections.

China, the world's largest crude importer, has stuck to strict COVID curbs this year, which weighed heavily on business and economic activity, lowering demand for fuel.

But reports that Beijing is considering cutting the quarantine period for visitors to seven days have bolstered prices on Thursday despite no official confirmation of the measure.

Prince Abdulaziz and his Chinese counterpart agreed to continue cooperation efforts to maintain stability in oil markets, SPA said, adding that the Kingdom continues to be China's most reliable partner and supplier of crude oil.

He had earlier this week spoken with the trade minister of Japan, another key client, and discussed strengthening cooperation on energy.

Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Maha El Dahan; Writing by Yomna Ehab and Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 022-10-21/
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REUTERS

"Saudi Arabia 'maturer guys' in spat with U.S., energy minister says"


By Aziz El Yaakoubi, Rachna Uppal and Hadeel Al Sayegh

October 25, 2022

Summary

* OPEC+ oil output cut led to U.S., Saudi spat

* Saudi Arabia and U.S. "solid allies" – minister

* Big Wall St turnout at flagship Saudi investment summit


RIYADH, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia decided to be the "maturer guys" in a spat with the United States over oil supplies, the kingdom's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday.

The decision by the OPEC+ oil producer group led by Saudi Arabia this month to cut oil output targets unleashed a war of words between the White House and Riyadh ahead of the kingdom's Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum, which drew top U.S. business executives.

The two traditional allies' relationship had already been strained by the Joe Biden administration's stance on the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Yemen war, as well as Riyadh's growing ties with China and Russia.

When asked at the FII forum how the energy relationship with the United States could be put back on track after the cuts and with the Dec. 5 deadline for the expected price-cap on Russian oil, the Saudi energy minister said: "I think we as Saudi Arabia decided to be the maturer guys and let the dice fall".

"We keep hearing you 'are with us or against us', is there any room for 'we are with the people of Saudi Arabia'?"

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih said earlier that Riyadh and Washington will get over their "unwarranted" spat, highlighting long-standing corporate and institutional ties.

"If you look at the relationship with the people side, the corporate side, the education system, you look at our institutions working together we are very close and we will get over this recent spat that I think was unwarranted," he said.

While noting that Saudi Arabia and the United States were "solid allies" in the long term, he highlighted the kingdom was "very strong" with Asian partners including China, which is the biggest importer of Saudi hydrocarbons.

The OPEC+ cut has raised concerns in Washington about the possibility of higher gasoline prices ahead of the November U.S. midterm elections, with the Democrats trying to retain their control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Biden pledged that "there will be consequences" for U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia after the OPEC+ move.

Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the kingdom's ambassador to Washington, said in a CNN interview that Saudi Arabia was not siding with Russia and engages with "everybody across the board".

"And by the way, it's okay to disagree."

"We've disagreed in the past, and we've agreed in the past, but the important thing is recognizing the value of this relationship," she said.

She added that "a lot of people talk about reforming or reviewing the relationship" and said that was "a positive thing" as Saudi Arabia "is not the kingdom it was five years ago."

FULL ATTENDENCE AT FII

Like previous years, the FII three-day forum that opened on Tuesday saw a big turnout from Wall Street, as well as other industries with strategic interests in Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.

JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, speaking at the gathering, voiced confidence that Saudi Arabia and the United States would safeguard their 75-year-old alliance.

"I can't imagine any allies agreeing on everything and not having problems – they’ll work it through," Dimon said.

"I'm comfortable that folks on both sides are working through and that these countries will remain allies going forward, and hopefully help the world develop and grow properly."

The FII is a showcase for the Saudi crown prince's Vision 2030 development plan to wean the economy off oil by creating new industries that also generate jobs for millions of Saudis, and to lure foreign capital and talent.

No Biden administration officials were visible at the forum on Tuesday.

Jared Kushner, a former senior aide to then-President Donald Trump who enjoyed good ties with Prince Mohammed, was featured as a front-row speaker.

The Saudi government invested $2 billion with a firm incorporated by Kushner after Trump left office.

FII organisers said this year's edition attracted 7,000 delegates compared with 4,000 last year.

After its inaugural launch in 2017, the forum was marred by a Western boycott over Khashoggi's killing by Saudi agents.

It recovered the next year, attracting leaders and businesses with strategic interests in Saudi Arabia, after which the pandemic hit the world.

Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi, Hadeel Al Sayegh and Rachna Uppal in Riyadh and Nadine Awadalla, Maha El Dahan and Yousef Saba in Dubai; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous and Michael Geory; Editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Potter, Vinay Dwivedi, William Maclean

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-ea ... 022-10-25/
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REUTERS

"World hoped to crucify top oil supplier, Saudi says"


By Sarah El Safty and Aidan Lewis

November 11, 2022

Summary

* Says Saudi Arabia has lowest methane missions

* Kingdom could reach net zero before 2060 target

* Developing renewables in parallel with oil, gas


SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The world was hoping to crucify Saudi Arabia as a top oil exporter, its energy minister said on the sidelines of the COP27 summit in Egypt, adding the kingdom would be closely monitoring other countries' renewable promises.

Setting out what he said were Saudi Arabia's steps to produce cleaner energy and reduce its carbon footprint, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said: "The world is hoping to crucify us."

Instead, he said, Saudi Arabia would be holding the rest of the world to account.

"We want people to match us, and we want to make sure people put their money where their mouths are," he said.

Among Saudi Arabia's contributions, he said Saudi Arabian state oil producer Aramco had the lowest methane emissions by any measure.

Methane emissions, although less enduring than carbon dioxide, are extremely potent, and the amount produced by the oil and gas industry was a focus of discussion at the COP27 talks on Friday.

The minister also said the kingdom was on track to reach net zero emission by 2060 and may bring the target forward, depending on technology.

"We believe that date hopefully can be brought earlier but I just want to make sure that when we commit we deliver but our hope is to deliver ahead of time," he said.

LOWEST COST GREEN HYDROGEN?

Saudi Arabia is also working on producing hydrogen using renewable energy and aims to be the lowest cost producer, Prince Abdulaziz said.

"We want to showcase ourselves as an energy exporting country, because we will be working hard in exporting hydrogen along with oil, along with liquid gases," he told Reuters.

"We'll be hopefully be doing electricity too."

The kingdom says it should also meet a carbon capture target of 44 million tonnes by 2035, he said.

Saudi Aramco signed a joint development agreement in parternship with the energy ministry on Thursday to establish a carbon capture and storage hub with the potential to store up to 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2027.

Environmental campaigners tend to be wary of carbon capture on the grounds industry can use it to justify the continued use of fossil fuels.

Oil and gas officials and industry leaders say fossil fuels remain necessary, especially as the world faces economic crisis and the disruption of Russian supplies as a result of the Ukraine war.

They say under-investment in fossil fuels has helped to cause the price spikes of this year that have driven inflation to multi-decade highs and that oil and gas must be developed alongside renewable energy.

"You need to invest to decarbonise existing resources like oil and gas while building your renewable sectors."

"That needs to happen in parallel," Aramco chief Amin Nasser said on Friday.

Reporting by Sarah El Safty and Aidan Lewis; Writing by Nadine Awadalla and Maha El Dahan; Editing by Alex Richardson, Frank Jack Daniel and Barbara Lewis

https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/wo ... 022-11-11/
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RIGZONE

"Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Exports"


by Bloomberg | Grant Smith

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Saudi Arabia has cut oil exports sharply this month as the kingdom delivers on an OPEC+ agreement to shore up global crude markets.

Saudi shipments were down by about 430,000 barrels a day, or roughly 6%, by mid-November compared with the previous month, according to data from energy analytics firm Kpler Ltd.

An even bigger slump of 676,000 barrels a day was observed by another consultant, Vortexa Ltd.

The kingdom, which leads the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is fully committed to the agreement struck last month between the group and its allies, according to an official who asked not to be identified.

“Saudi Arabia is cutting a lot, going down for a second straight month,” said Viktor Katona, an analyst at Kpler in Vienna.

US President Joe Biden slammed Riyadh and its partners last month, saying the hefty 2 milllion barrel-a-day cut would endanger the global economy and aid fellow OPEC+ member Russia in its war in Ukraine, though oil-market trends have since given the decision some vindication.

Crude prices have retreated about 4% this week to near $90 a barrel amid a fragile backdrop for demand.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman defended the cutbacks last week at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, saying they were needed to offset extreme economic uncertainties.

He said the group would remain “cautious.”

The kingdom has often sought to lead OPEC+ by example, swiftly delivering its pledged curbs -- or even exceeding them -- to encourage other members to follow.

Exports from OPEC’s 13 members are down “very significantly in the first half of November, by more than 1 million barrels a day,” said Daniel Gerber, chief executive officer of tanker-tracker Petro-Logistics SA in Geneva.

While an uptick is likely in the second half of the month, flows are on track for an average monthly drop of 1 million a day -- roughly equivalent to the group’s full pledged reduction, according to the firm, which has monitored tanker traffic for four decades.

Iraq, UAE

Among Saudi Arabia’s OPEC counterparts in the Middle East, signs of cuts were more mixed, though shipping data for the first half of the month can give a fragmentary picture, prone to distortion if cargo loadings fall just inside or outside the date range.

Iraq showed a drop of 308,000 barrels a day, or about 9%, in shipments in the first two weeks of November and Kuwait’s flows appeared broadly flat, but exports from the United Arab Emirates rose by 379,000 barrels a day, or roughly 12%, according to Kpler.

Shipments from the UAE are usually concentrated at the beginning of the month and subside later in the period, Bloomberg tanker-tracking indicates.

The country’s Energy Ministry and state-run producer Adnoc didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Abu Dhabi has in the past been more eager to deploy the new production capacity it’s invested in than curtail supplies, triggering a dispute last year that almost splintered the OPEC+ alliance.

Some OPEC+ delegates have privately said that Abu Dhabi didn’t initially support the group’s cutbacks, though others have disputed the claim, and UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said last month that the decision was the right one.

The full 23-nation OPEC+ alliance will meet to consider production policy for early 2023 on Dec. 4 in Vienna.

--With assistance from Prejula Prem, Anthony Di Paola and Salma El Wardany.

https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/saudi ... 8-article/
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FOX NEWS

"Pentagon issues warning after Turkish airstrikes threaten American troops in Syria"


Story by Peter Aitken

3 DECEMBER 2022

The Pentagon has urged Turkey to stand down on its plan to invade Syria as the operation could endanger U.S. troops in the country.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to his counterpart Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar for the loss of life in the Istanbul bombing that occurred last month and prompted military action in Syria.

But Austin stressed that the airstrikes – and the impending ground invasion of Syria – directly threatens the safety of U.S. personnel working in Syria.


"Secretary Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department’s strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria," according to a readout of the call between Austin and Akar.

Turkey launched a series of airstrikes in northern Syria following the bombing on Nov. 13 that killed six people and injured at least 80 other people.

Turkish authorities arrested an Arab Syrian woman whom they linked with Kurdish militias, but the militias denied any involvement.

Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan authorized a military response in Syria, called "Operation Sword-Claw," which aimed to take out the People’s Defense Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK).

A Kurdish general told Fox News last week that NATO ally Turkey is planning to carry out a massive ground invasion of Syria in an effort to target the same Kurdish groups that partnered with the U.S. military in its campaign against ISIS.

U.S. military officials have also raised concerns that the operation could end up providing an opportunity for some 10,000 ISIS detainees to escape confinement.

Brigadier Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said Wednesday, "Recent air strikes in Syria directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working in Syria with local partners to defeat ISIS and maintain custody of more than 10,000 ISIS detainees."

Ryder noted that an "Immediate de-escalation is necessary to maintain focus on the defeat-ISIS mission and ensure the safety and security of personnel on the ground committed to the defeat-ISIS mission."

One military official said that Syria presents ideal conditions for ISIS to continue growing its ranks and regaining its former operating capacity: CENTCOM chief Gen. Erik Kurilla visited the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria and said ISIS has looked to exploit the conditions in the camp as a means of gaining new recruits to its cause.

"The SDF mission to clear ISIS from the camp continues: This is a critical, wide-ranging operation which will make the camp safer for all residents," Kurilla said following his visit.

"We’ve already seen ISIS members holding women and girls enslaved in chains inside the camp, torturing camp residents, and seeking to spread their vile ideology."

Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

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FOX BUSINESS NEWS

"China calls for oil to be traded with yuan at Gulf summit in Saudi Arabia"


Story by Caitlin McFall

10 DECEMBER 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on leaders from the top oil producing nations to conduct oil sales by using the Chinese yuan as he looks to bolster his country’s currency.

The move echoes steps Beijing took earlier this year with Russia and is an attempt to not only help push the yuan as a top international currency but aims to weaken the U.S. dollar – currently valued at $.14 per 1 Chinese yuan.


Xi addressed Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hosted two events with Beijing to demonstrate Riyadh’s burgeoning relationship with China amid strained relations with the U.S. over human rights issues, energy and its relationship with Russia.

Reports first surfaced in March 2022 that suggested Saudi Arabia was advancing years-long negotiations with China that could see a shift in the oil trade off of the U.S. dollar.

The move would likely be a significant hit to the dollar and Western markets.


Prince Mohammed reportedly championed a "historic new phase of relations with China" at the start of the summit Friday with leaders from other the Gulf, Levant and Africa.

Saudi Arabia is already China’s top crude oil supplier with Russia coming in second, though Xi pledged to purchase more oil and gas from Gulf nations Friday.

"China will continue to import a large amount of crude oil from the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries, expand imports of liquefied natural gas, strengthen the engineering services in oil and gas upstream development and the cooperation in storage, transportation and refining," Xi said.

The Chinese president also said that China would expand its ties with Saudi Arabia and other regional states without interfering in their domestic policies – a position Beijing has long criticized Washington over.

Xi’s proposition could prove appealing for nation leaders like the Crown Prince who has shared a rocky relationship with the U.S. for years, though particularly under the Biden administration.

The Chinese president also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said China is committed to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the UN’s 1967 boundaries of Israel.

"The Palestine issue is vital to the peace and stability in the Middle East," Xi said.

"The historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue indefinitely.

"The demand for an independent state cannot be vetoed," he added, though notably without reference to human rights abuses against communities the Uyghurs on his own turf.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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BUSINESS INSIDER

"Biden promised a reckoning when Saudi Arabia crossed him. 3 months later, it is clear he's backed down."


Story by tporter@businessinsider.com (Tom Porter)

16 JANUARY 2023

* President Joe Biden had pledged to hold Saudi Arabia to account over cutting oil supplies.

* It came after Saudi Arabia and Russia cut oil supplies, sparking inflation fears.

* But Biden has been notably silent on the issue since, as the nations quietly repair ties.


Back in October, relations between the US and its usually firm ally Saudi Arabia were on the rocks.

In concert with Russia, Saudi Arabia had cut oil production, an economic kick in the shin for the US just in time for the midterm elections.

President Joe Biden vowed in response that unspecified "consequences" would be follow for the Saudis.


As relations went into tailspin, officials from the countries exchanged petty insults.

Three months later, Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, remain unpunished.

Biden has been notably silent on specifically what form his retaliation might take, and has made no moves for proposed Congressional action.

US officials told the Wall Street Journal in early January that the threat has been dropped.

Giorgio Cafiero, the CEO of Gulf State analytics, told Insider that the Journal article seemed to match reality.

"The White House's commitment to actions that would make the Saudis face consequences has faded," he said.

One key factor, he noted, is that oil prices did not rocket in response to the Saudi supply cut, despite predictions that they would.

China's economic slowdown as it wrestled with a severe COVID-19 outbreak helped reduce demand and keep a lid on prices.

Cafiero noted a series of other developments he said had focused minds in both the US and Saudi Arabia on common interests.

The most significant, he said, is the threat posed by Iran.

Iran has rejected Biden administration attempts to revive the 2012 nuclear deal to limit its ability to develop its own warheads.

The Islamic Republic has also strengthened its military ties with Russia, providing exploding drones that have been used in waves of attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine, a US ally.

And Iranian proxies continue to wage war against Saudi Arabian-backed forces in the long and costly conflict in Yemen.

There are concerns among US and Saudi officials that riots in Iran that have rocked the regime could lead it escalate external conflicts as a distraction, said Cafiero.

"The situation in Iran is relevant here as both the US and Saudi Arabia have concerns about Tehran trying to regionalize its internal unrest in ways that could entail lashing out in nearby countries," he said.

In November, the US scrambled jets amid reports that Iran was preparing to launch missiles at Saudi Arabia, a move credited with helping deter the aggression.

And the US has continued to provide broader security assistance for the Saudis, last year approving $5 billion in arms sales.

Officials from the US and Saudi Arabia told The Journal that the countries were cooperating on sensitive intelligence and military projects aimed at containing Tehran.

Tensions between the US and Saudi Arabia remain, with Riyadh's bid to build stronger ties with US rivals China and Russia likely to be a continued sticking point.

Crown Prince Mohammed's ruthless suppression of domestic dissent is another issue which could cause a rift.

But for now, shared interests prevail.

"Those shared concerns serve to reinforce to team Biden the importance of Washington's partnership with the Kingdom," said Cafiero.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bi ... 45ce1ea12e
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Al Jazeera

"US forces repel attacks as Israel-Hamas war threatens to spill over"


21 OCTOBER 2023

United States forces are facing increased threats, raising concerns that the Israel-Hamas war may spill over across the region.

Drones and missiles were launched at bases hosting US troops in Iraq on Thursday.

The attacks helped put Washington on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed armed groups following similar incidents in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday, while a US warship intercepted missiles potentially heading towards Israel.

President Joe Biden has sent naval power to the Middle East in the past two weeks, including two aircraft carriers, other warships and about 2,000 marines.

There has been an uptick in attacks on US forces since the conflict in Israel broke out on October 7 when Palestinian fighters from Hamas, the armed group that rules Gaza, attacked southern Israel.

Earlier this week, US forces thwarted multiple drones targeting troops.

On Wednesday, a drone hit US forces in Syria resulting in minor injuries, while another was brought down.

During a false alarm at Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a civilian contractor died from cardiac arrest.

However, on Thursday, drones and rockets targeted the base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq.

Multiple blasts were heard inside the base.

Rockets also hit a military base hosting US forces near Baghdad’s international airport, Iraqi police said, without providing further details.

“While I’m not going to forecast any potential responses to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend US and coalition forces against any threat,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.

“Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing,” Ryder said.

A US Navy warship travelling near Yemen intercepted three missiles above the northern Red Sea and several drones that were launched by what Ryder said was the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

The official said it appeared that the projectiles were potentially heading in the direction of Israel.

“We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen, heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel,” the Pentagon spokesperson told reporters in a press briefing.

Ryder claimed he did not see a link between the rise in attacks and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“At this point, again, the information that we have does not show a direct connection to the Hamas attacks on October 7,” he said.

On Wednesday, Iran-allied groups in Iraq announced that they had formed a “joint operations room” to help Hamas in its war effort.

Two officials with Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq, who spoke to the AP news agency on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the issue, confirmed the attacks on the two US bases on Wednesday.

They said the groups were on alert and prepared to join the wider battle against Israel, but that Iran had not yet given approval for them to open a new front.

Leaders from some of the factions are now in Lebanon and Syria in case they get orders to proceed, one of the officials told AP.

‘Terrible brutality’

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed fighters, has issued a statement claiming responsibility for the two drone attacks in Iraq and saying it “heralds more operations” against the “American occupation”.

The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, and 900 more in neighbouring Syria, on a mission to advise and assist local forces in fighting the ISIL (ISIS) armed group, which in 2014 seized swaths of territory in both countries.

In past years, Iranian-backed fighters regularly targeted US forces and the US embassy in Baghdad with rockets.

Such attacks had abated under a truce in place since last year, and Iraq has had a period of relative calm.

But the war in Gaza has revived tensions.

The country’s top Shia Muslim leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, last week condemned Israel and called on the world to stand up to the “terrible brutality” in besieged Gaza.

Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful armed faction with close ties to Iran, accused the US of supporting Israel in “killing innocent people” and said it should leave Iraq.

Spillover feared

The increased tension has provoked warnings from officials across the lines of the risk of a spillover of the conflict to the wider region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Thursday of the potential for a regional crisis, saying efforts to pin blame on Iran were adding fuel to the fire.

The same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen labelled the risk of regional spillover from the Israel-Hamas war as “real”.

Underscoring the need to tighten sanctions on Iran, which she said was supplying Hamas, von der Leyen also said dialogue between Israel and its neighbours must continue.

“We have seen the Arab streets fill with rage all across the region."

"So the risk of a regional spillover is real,” she said.

“Iran, Hamas’s patron, only wants to fuel the fire of chaos."

"Russia, Iran’s wartime customer, is watching carefully."

"Russia and Hamas are alike,” the EU leader said.

Von der Leyen decried the “evil role that Iran plays in the background”, adding that it was “without question” that Iran supplied 93 percent of the weapons being used by Hamas.

She said it was vital to continue sanctioning Iran, as well as to widen sanctions and crackdown on sanctions evasion.

“That we have to step up is without question,” she said.

Earlier this week, the United Nations Middle East peace envoy warned the Security Council that the risk of expansion of the conflict between Israel and Hamas was “very real, and extremely dangerous”.

“I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole,” said Tor Wennesland, addressing the 15-member body via video from Doha, Qatar.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... 06fa&ei=36
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Re: THE MIDDLE EAST

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Reuters

"White House bracing for more Iran-backed attacks on US bases"


Story by Steve Holland

23 OCTOBER 2023

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There has been an uptick in rocket and drone attacks by Iranian-backed proxy groups on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria and President Biden has directed the Department of Defense to brace for future strikes and respond appropriately, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.

"We are deeply concerned about the potential for any significant escalation of these attacks in the days ahead," Kirby said.

Biden has sent naval power to the Middle East in the past two weeks, including two aircraft carriers, other warships and about 2,000 Marines.

There has been an uptick in attacks on U.S. forces since the conflict in Israel broke out on Oct. 7 when militants from the Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel.

"We know Iran's goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we're not going to allow them to do that," Kirby said.

"We also are not going to allow any threat to our interests in the region to go unchallenged."

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chris Reese and Deepa Babington)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/wh ... 3065&ei=63
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