Perhaps sensing that the US "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran is fast deflating, with even ultra-Hawk John Bolton late this week saying American military build-up had successfully "deterred" imminent Iran threats - suggesting the crisis has been averted - the Saudis are now going on the offensive.
Saudi Arabia’s aging King Salman went on an anti-Iran tirade during an emergency meeting of Arab leaders hosted in Mecca on Thursday, saying the Shia country is the greatest threat to global security for the past four decades. He also echoed past US and Israeli charges that Tehran is currently developing nuclear and ballistic missiles in order to threaten its neighbors and extend its influence over the region.
He said Iran's leaders were "harboring global and regional terrorist entities and threatening international waterways." He called for "using all means to stop the Iranian regime" from its regional "interference". Iran for its part rejected these as "baseless accusations" and has denied it had any role in a spate of recent "sabotage" attacks in the Gulf region.
The king further condemned Iran's tactics to disrupt maritime trade and global oil supplies in “glaring violation of UN treaties” following Riyadh's blaming Iranian operatives for using underwater mines to attack and "sabotage" four tankers near the Strait of Hormuz weeks ago, two of which were Saudi flagged.
"The Iranian regime has been interfering in other countries' affairs, developing their nuclear programs and threatening international navigation," King Salman said during his speech, according to a translation by Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya.
Iran has been “supporting terrorism, undermining stability, and looking to expand its influence over the past four decades,” Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said at the GCC Summit in #Mecca. https://t.co/8TMXsarPPK pic.twitter.com/GdQ20I64r2
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 30, 2019
The Saudis are attempting to build a strong consensus of Arab states which will stand aggressively against Iran and its allies in the region; however, these efforts could be crippled by the ongoing inter-GCC economic and diplomatic war involving Qatar.
The US welcomed the move toward "Arab unity" to confront Iran, with a State Department spokesperson saying Thursday, “Gulf unity is essential in confronting Iran, to confronting their influence, to countering terrorism writ large, and, of course, to ensuring a prosperous future for the Gulf,” according to the AP.
Saudi officials also blamed Iran for fueling the war in Yemen by backing Houthi rebels, which the Saudi coalition has been fighting mostly via airstrikes since 2015, resulting in what the UN has called the "world's worst humanitarian crisis". Visiting delegations were even shown destroyed Houthi drones and missile fragments upon their arrival in Jeddah.
Notably, the Iraqi delegation scoffed at the summit's anti-Iran emphasis. Iraqi President Barham Salih told the summit that stability in Iraq is paramount and that any threats to Iran's security could spark war in the region, sending fragile post-war Iraq back into sectarian bloodshed and chaos.
This week the Pentagon revealed that nearly 1,000 troops newly deployed to Middle East to counter the Iran threat would be stationed in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Over the past week, following Trump's extended hand for Iran's leaders to "call me," we've seen a consistent deescalation following weeks of dangerous escalation, including threats and counter-threats of military action by both sides.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reportedly said this week that the "road is not closed" on talks with the US if Washington drops the sanctions and returns to upholding the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) - something not at all likely to happen.
Pro-Trump evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress condemned Disney as “insane” and “blinded by evil” for its threat to pull production out of Georgia if that state implements a recently passed law that would effectively ban abortion after six weeks: “They want to murder and support the murder of their future audience.”
Speaking to Lou Dobbs on the Fox Business Network, Jeffress, who has a long track record of making outrageous comments and harboring extremist beliefs, was reacting to corporate threats by Disney and Netflix to leave the state over a new “fetal heartbeat” law.
Last month, Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed an abortion bill that would prohibit terminating a pregnancy once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically happens at around the six-week mark. The new law was immediately challenged in court by the ACLU and has not yet been implemented.
Earlier in the week, Disney CEO Bob Iger told Reuters it would be “very difficult” for his company to keep producing TV shows and movies in Georgia if the law were to take effect. “I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now we are watching it very carefully.”
Jeffress, however, seemed untroubled by the potential departure of millions of dollars of revenue from the state. “I would say let them go and don’t let the door hit them on the backside,” he told Dobbs. “For Disney to do this when their whole market is children. They want to murder and support the murder of their future audience.”
“That is not only not good morals, it’s not good business either,” he added, referring to Disney’s decision. “They are insane, blinded by evil in their support of abortion.”
Watch the video above, via Fox Business Network.
