The militaries for Saudi Arabia and the United States are reportedly on high alert following an intelligence report warning of an imminent attack from Iran.
The intelligence report from Saudi Arabia has also resulted in several neighboring states increasing their level of military alertness, The Wall Street Journal reported.
There were no details about what the specific threats were other than the main reported targets are in Saudi Arabia, Erbil, and Iraq.
The report said that the officials believe that the planned attacks are an attempt for Iran to distract from the mass social unrest that has rocked the country for many weeks as the country’s citizens are fed up with the Islamic Republic’s oppressive regime.
“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” said a National Security Council spokesperson. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a press conference on Tuesday that the U.S. was “concerned” about “the threat situation” and that the U.S. was in close contact with Saudi Arabia over the matter. “We will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere,” Ryder said.
The threats from Iran come as the country has shipped drones for Russian forces to use in their war against Ukraine. Iran has a history of using drones to launch terrorist attacks against countries in the Middle East, including providing their proxies with drones that are then used to carry out the attacks.
The report said that Iran has sought to cast blame on Saudi Arabia for the protests it faces because of the Farsi-speaking news coverage Saudi Arabia controls, which Iranians watch.
“This is our last warning, because you are interfering in our internal affairs through these media,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami. “You are involved in this matter and know that you are vulnerable.”
The riots in Iran were sparked in the middle of September over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for violating the country’s laws that require women to wear a hijab. Reports have said that police brutally beat her.
It’s unknown how many people have been killed by the Islamic Republic in response to the protests, but reports have pinned the number at more than 200.