Israel: We are ready to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to counter Iran

General Gadi Eisenkot, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, stated in an interview with a Saudi website on Thursday that his country is prepared to cooperate with Riyadh to counter Iran's plans for 'controlling the Middle East.' According to AFP, the interview with the head of the Israeli army was conducted with the 'Elaph' website at a time when the two countries do not have diplomatic relations. General Eisenkot said in the interview, 'We are ready to exchange experiences with moderate Arab countries and share security information to counter Iran.' In response to the question of whether Israel has shared any information with Saudi Arabia, he stated that 'if necessary, we are ready to share information. We have many common interests.' The Israeli army has confirmed the content published in Elaph. Alex Greenberg, a Middle East expert at the Rubin Center for International Research in Herzliya, told Radio Farda that there is cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel against Iran, but he is sure that this cooperation will be limited to information sharing, as Saudi Arabia does not have good operational military capabilities, and the Islamic Republic is well aware of this. He pointed out that 'Saudi Arabia's position in all fronts of proxy conflicts with Iran is very weak' and added, 'Neither Israel nor Saudi Arabia can take any effective action against Iran.' Mr. Greenberg also mentioned that while Saudi Arabia was able to conduct a diplomatic maneuver against Hezbollah and Iran in Lebanon through Hariri's resignation, this maneuver does not change the balance of power in Lebanon. However, Israel does not intend to engage in a war with Hezbollah just because Saudi Arabia wants it. This Israeli expert believes that there is potential for information exchange between Israel and Saudi Arabia regarding Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel and Iran have always accused each other of terrorist actions against themselves. Previously, General Herzl Halevi, the chief intelligence officer of Israel, in a speech on June 16 of this year, praised the 'pragmatism' of the Saudi king and his government in confronting Tehran, emphasizing the commonalities between his country and Saudi Arabia in countering Iran. General Halevi, head of 'Aman,' the intelligence branch of the Israeli army, described the 'moderation and pragmatism' of the Saudi government since King Salman came to power and the seriousness of the Saudis in the past year and a half against Iran in the region as a 'positive transformation' that, according to him, 'has created new opportunities.' He added, 'Part of the interests of moderate Sunni countries is gradually aligning with the interests of Israel, and now Saudi Arabia is no longer the government it was a year and a half ago in Riyadh.' Meanwhile, Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia of aligning with Israel. For instance, the Iranian Minister of Defense, in discussions on the sidelines of the Moscow Security Conference, accused Saudi Arabia of becoming 'the representative of America and Israel in the region' and stated that the Islamic Republic is prepared to confront 'any coalition of America, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.' The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, which is supported by Tehran, also accused Saudi Arabia on November 2 of declaring war against Lebanon and this group. He also stated that Saudi Arabia encourages Israel to attack Lebanon. General Gadi Eisenkot, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, said on Thursday that his country has no intention of engaging with Hezbollah but will not accept strategic threats against Israel from that country. Saudi Arabia to Iran: Enough is enough. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, said on Thursday that Riyadh's actions in the Middle East are a response to what he called Iran's 'aggression.' Relations between the two countries were severed after the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Iran and Saudi Arabia accuse each other of interfering in the affairs of Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters, 'From any angle you look at it, they (the Iranians) are implementing an aggressive policy. We respond to their aggressive actions and say enough is enough. We will not allow you to continue your actions any longer.' He also stated that Saudi Arabia has consulted with its allies on how to end Hezbollah's dominance, Iran's ally, in Lebanon. Mr. al-Jubeir, without providing further details, said, 'When the time comes, we will make a decision.' The Saudi Foreign Minister also emphasized the need for Hezbollah to disarm and continue its activities as a political party. In this context, France expressed concern about Iran's 'expansionist' intentions in the region and Saudi Arabia's request for an urgent Arab League meeting regarding Iran. The Secretary-General of Hezbollah has made accusations against Saudi Arabia and Israel. A U.S. Air Force official stated that a missile fired towards Riyadh was Iranian. Iran sent a letter to the United Nations in protest against Saudi accusations regarding the missile attack. The Saudi Crown Prince accused Iran of 'direct military aggression.'