Saudi Arabia Believes Iran may be Planning Attack

Saudi Arabia Believes Iran may be Planning Attack

United States security officials say Saudi Arabia has told them Iran may be planning an attack on their land.

The warning from Saudi Arabia comes at the same time that the U.S. is criticizing Iran for sending drones to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine. And the U.S. is also speaking out against Iran's tough measures against street protests.

The U.S. National Security Council released a statement Tuesday saying it is "concerned about the threat picture." The U.S. said it "will not hesitate to act in defense¹ of our interests and partners in the region."

Neither Saudi Arabia, nor Iran, answered requests for comments from the Associated Press.

One U.S. security official confirmed the intelligence report and said there was a threat "soon or within the next 48 hours." However, American embassies² and consulates³ in the area have not yet issued warnings about an attack.

Pat Ryder is the spokesperson for the U.S. Defense Department. He said U.S. military officials are concerned and "we will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving."

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the Saudis sharing of intelligence.

Iran is reportedly unhappy with coverage⁴ of the protests from Iran International. The Farsi-language satellite news service was once mostly owned by a Saudi national.

The protests in Iran began in late September when a young woman died while under arrest for not covering her hair properly. Since then, at least 288 people have been killed and over 14,000 arrested in protests throughout the nation.

Regional uncertainty⁵

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have long been concerned about attacks from Iran. In 2019, a drone hit an oil-storage area in eastern Saudi Arabia. The attack hurt the nation's ability to supply oil to the world market. In addition, some parts of Saudi Arabia have been hit by drones sent by Iran-supported Houthi fighters in Yemen.

While Iran said it was not behind the attacks, security officials say similar Iran-made drones have been used by Russia to attack Ukraine this year.

The relationship between the U.S. and the two Middle Eastern nations continues to be tense. The U.S. says it will support Saudi Arabia if it is attacked by Iran. But at the same time, American leaders are thinking about negotiations⁶ with Iran to limit nuclear weapons production.

Even with the show of support for Saudi Arabia, the U.S. says it is examining the relationship because of Saudi's action to cut its oil supply. Saudi Arabia is the top oil-producing country in a group known as OPEC. The U.S. says OPEC production cuts help Russia get more money for its oil so it can pay for the war in Ukraine.

Words in This Story

drone –n. a small aircraft that flies without a pilot

hesitate –v. to be unwilling⁷ to do something because of doubt

region –n. a part of the world

reserve –v. to choose to do something at a later time

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 embassies   

n.大使馆( embassy的名词复数 )；大使馆全体成员

参考例句：

• The representatives of other countries have their embassies there. 许多国家都在此设有大使馆。 来自英语晨读30分（高二）
• Demonstrators protested outside the country's embassies all over Europe. 该国驻欧洲各国的大使馆外都有群众进行示威抗议。 来自辞典例句

3 consulates   

n.领事馆( consulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Consulates General of The People's Republic at Los Angeles. 中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆。 来自互联网
• The country's embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions stationed in other countries. （七）家驻外使馆、馆和其他外交代表机构。 来自互联网

4 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。