"Red Line" in the Sand: Saudi Arabia Warns U.S. It Will Strike Iran Directly if Water or Power Hit
Iran is stupidly pushing Saudi Arabia closer to Israel than ever before. Not only that, but if Iran keeps attacking the Kingdom, they are going to regret in a big way.
Saudi Arabia has privately informed the U.S. that it stands ready to retaliate militarily against Iran if Tehran strikes the kingdom’s energy infrastructure or water facilities, according to people familiar with the matter.
The warning, delivered through back-channel communications in recent days, comes as the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran enters a volatile new phase. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to target power plants, oil installations and desalination facilities across the Gulf in response to any U.S. or Israeli strikes on Iranian energy sites. Saudi Arabia, which relies on desalination plants for the vast majority of its drinking water, views such attacks as an existential threat.
The kingdom has signaled to Washington that an Iranian assault on its power grid or water plants would cross a clear red line, prompting a direct Saudi counterstrike against Iranian targets, the people said. Riyadh has so far stayed out of direct combat but has grown more assertive as Iranian missiles and drones have struck Gulf targets, including a recent incident that knocked power lines out of service in Kuwait and prompted Saudi air defenses to intercept a drone over its eastern province.
The disclosure underscores rising fears in Gulf capitals that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional war centered on critical civilian infrastructure. Desalination plants, which convert seawater into fresh water for millions in the arid region, are particularly vulnerable; Iran has publicly listed such facilities in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere as potential legitimate targets.
President Donald Trump on Monday postponed planned U.S. strikes on Iranian power plants for five days, citing what he described as productive talks with Iranian intermediaries aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalating the conflict. Iran has denied that any substantive negotiations are under way.
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. maintain close defense ties, with American forces stationed at bases in the kingdom. The kingdom has also ramped up oil exports via alternative pipelines to bypass the strait, which has been largely closed since the fighting began.
Bloomberg earlier reported the Saudi warning. Neither the Saudi government nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.