White House Warns About Iran's 'Obstinacy' Towards Saudi Arabia and Israel

On Friday, May 12, the White House criticized Iran's 'obstinacy' towards Saudi Arabia and Israel, warning that these behaviors pose a serious threat to stability in the Middle East. This statement was issued after Israel accused the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of firing at least 20 rockets from Syrian territory towards the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Thursday. Israel claims that in response to this action, it targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard positions in Syria. The White House spokesperson stated: 'The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is spending resources to export destabilizing influence throughout the Middle East while the Iranian people are suffering from an economy in shambles.' The statement added: 'Just this week, the IRGC launched rockets at Israeli citizens, and Iranian proxy fighters in Yemen fired a ballistic missile towards Riyadh.' The White House emphasized that these actions further demonstrate that the obstinate actions of the Iranian government pose a serious threat to regional peace and security. The statement concluded: 'It is time for responsible countries to pressure Iran to change this dangerous behavior.' In recent months, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have fired missiles at various locations in Saudi Arabia. These attacks are part of the ongoing conflict between the two sides in the three-year Yemeni war, which many believe has turned into a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, tensions between Israel and Iran have also escalated in Syria. Iran and Hezbollah, which is supported by Tehran, are assisting Bashar al-Assad's government in the country's civil war. In recent months, various reports have emerged regarding Israeli attacks on 'Syrian Iranian targets.' According to Reuters, the recent Israeli attack in Syria has been referred to as the most extensive attack by Israel during the Syrian civil war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described his country's military operations in Syria on Thursday evening as 'very extensive,' stating that Iran 'has crossed a red line' and adding that Israel will respond to any aggression 'a hundred times more severely'; he also urged Syria not to put itself at further risk. Meanwhile, the Syrian army's command issued a statement on Thursday without mentioning who was responsible for the rocket attacks on Israel, only referring to 'further aggressions by the enemy' against Syria and the death of three individuals along with some damages caused by Israeli airstrikes. In this context, the Islamic Republic of Iran insists that the rocket attacks on Thursday were carried out from Syria. Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, stated on Friday that the Israeli attacks were 'based on fabricated and baseless pretexts' and that 'retaliation' was Syria's right.