Saudi Defense Minister Dismisses Possibility of War with Iran

The Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia dismissed the possibility of war between Tehran and Riyadh in an interview with a British weekly, stating that they will not allow the region to suffer a major disaster. Mohammed bin Salman, in an interview with The Economist published on Thursday night, January 7, responded to the question of how likely he thinks a war between Iran and Saudi Arabia would occur, saying: "This is something we do not consider at all, and anyone who has such an idea is not thinking rationally." According to the Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, "the outbreak of war between Iran and Saudi Arabia would mark the beginning of a major disaster in the region... We certainly will not allow such a thing to happen." In the same interview, he defended the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a dissident Shia cleric from Saudi Arabia, which has sparked outrage among Iranian officials and Shia communities in the Middle East. Mohammed bin Salman stated: "The court did not make any distinction between whether a person is Sunni or Shia. The court examined the crime and followed the judicial process, the issuance of the trial verdict, and its execution." The Economist reported that this interview was conducted on Monday with the Saudi Minister of Defense. Riyadh cut its diplomatic relations with Iran on Sunday night in protest against an attack by a group on its embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad. Several other Arab countries, including Bahrain, Somalia, Sudan, Comoros, and Djibouti, have also severed diplomatic ties with Iran in support of Saudi Arabia. Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE have also recalled their ambassadors from Iran. In this context, Iran accused Saudi Arabia of conducting an airstrike on its embassy in Yemen, and a ban on the import of any goods from Saudi Arabia to Iran was imposed. Somalia severed relations with Iran; Comoros recalled its ambassador. Why is there no prevention of attacks on embassies? The changing battlefield of 'proxies'; war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. Trump: I hope there will be no need for further action regarding Iran; they were killing people indiscriminately. The shadow of war over Tehran; 'Trump is looking for decisive military options against Iran.' Trump says if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, 'it will be wiped off the face of the earth.' A senior U.S. official: The Trump administration is closely monitoring the case of Reza Valizadeh. Trump emphasizes 'stopping executions in Iran': We do not know what will happen in the future.