Saudi Arabia intercepts Iranian missiles over Riyadh

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Further proof of Iran’s malevolent aspirations and the wisdom of President Trump’s refusal to nuclearize Iran.

Photo: An image grab taken from a video handed out by Yemen’s Huthi rebels on 27 March, 2018 shows what appears to be Huthi military forces launching a ballistic missile on March 25 reportedly from the capital Sanaa (AFP)

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired two ballistic missiles toward an oil facility in the Saudi border city of Jizan on Sunday.

Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen fire missiles at Saudi capital

RIYADH/DUBAI (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthis fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia’s capital on Wednesday – an attack Saudi authorities said they intercepted in the skies over Riyadh.

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The assault took place a day after Saudi Arabia’s top Western ally the United States pulled out of a deal with Iran over its disputed nuclear programme and could signal an uptick in tensions between Riyadh and regional rival Tehran.

The Houthis said the missiles were launched at economic targets in Riyadh, the group’s al-Masirah TV reported. At least four blasts were heard in the city centre, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The Houthis have fired a series of missiles into the kingdom in recent months, part of a three-year-old conflict in Yemen widely seen as a proxy battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Colonel Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, said in a statement that Saudi air defences had intercepted one missile, with another falling in an uninhabited desert south of the city.

A spokesman for the Houthi-aligned military Colonel Aziz Rashed told al-Masirah that the attack marked “a new phase” and was revenge for Saudi air strikes on Yemen after a coalition air strike last month killed the Houthis’ top civilian leader.

“There will be more salvos until this enemy is deterred, understands the meaning of the Yemeni threat and ceases its crimes,” Rashed said.

He did not mention U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision hours earlier to pull out of the international nuclear accord with Iran. But there are fears that the decision could exacerbate the conflict in Yemen and other regional flashpoints.

“HOSTILE ACTION”

Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies queued up on Wednesday to praise Trump’s decision, as did Yemen’s internationally-recognised government, which has been forced into exile by Houthi advances.

The Yemeni government said the U.S. withdrawal was a necessary step to stop Iran’s “destabilising and dangerous” behaviour.

“The Iranian regime has exploited the benefits of the nuclear agreement to export violence and terrorism to its neighbours,” it said in a statement.

The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015. Iran and the Houthis have regularly dismissed Saudi accusations that Tehran arms the group.

Saudi state media said separately that air defence forces had intercepted a missile launched at the southern city of Jizan, in an attack also claimed by the Houthis.

“This hostile action by the Houthi militia backed by Iran proves the continued involvement of the Iranian regime,” Malki was quoted as saying by state news agency SPA.

Saudi Civil Defence will test a warning siren in Riyadh and other provinces on Thursday. It has instructed citizens, upon hearing the alert, to seek shelter in secure locations and avoid “areas prone to air strikes and missile strikes”.

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Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
5 years ago

iran has hostile intentions, it will be necessary to remove the iranian threat from the earth. If this is how they behave under international agreements, the iranians cannot be treated in any circumstance.

Sunshine Kid
Sunshine Kid
5 years ago
Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

Do we have enough nukes to create the Iranian lake?

Mark
Mark
5 years ago

This is one place where we need regime change. Give it back to the people like it was in the 70’s.

Suresh
Suresh
5 years ago

Agree. And Ramadan is Great time to go jihad and they may outdo last years score http://tiny.cc/7w7qsy

If some of the jihad means killing muslims kiling each other its ok. support them !

Sunshine Kid
Sunshine Kid
5 years ago
Reply to  Suresh

I don’t support them. I just sit on the sidelines and applaud.

R. Arandas
R. Arandas
5 years ago

The Sunnis and Shi’ites have been hating each other and fighting since the beginning of time, leave them both to their holy war!

dad1927
dad1927
5 years ago
Reply to  R. Arandas

both of them recognize the other as not a true muslim…comment image

Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
5 years ago

Aloha Snakbar!

IzlamDownpressesHumanity
IzlamDownpressesHumanity
5 years ago

Bwahahahahahahahaha, islamic terrorism being directed at one of the top two sponsors of islamic terrorism worldwide — what’s not to like about this story?

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