Jubeir charges Iran with missile attack, calls it 'act of war'

CAIRO – 7 November 2017: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir charged Iran with launching the failed ballistic missile attack on Riyadh's International Airport on Saturday and considered it “an act of war,” in an interview with CNN on Monday.

"It was an Iranian missile launched by Hezbollah from a territory occupied by the Houthis in Yemen,” Jubeir claimed. “Who are the Houthis and Hizbollah? They are sub-cities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.”

Retracing the path of the missile, Jubeir said, "It was manufactured in Iran, disassembled and smuggled as parts into Yemen, where it was re-assembled by operatives from the revolutionary guards and Hezbollah, and then it was launched against Saudi Arabia."

Asked about the evidence Saudi Arabia has against Iran, Jubeir stated, “We have the missile; the aluminum came from Iran, the guiding systems are from Iran, the cables have Iranian letters on them, the suicide boats used by the Houthis in Yemen are Iranian, and the computers have Iranian letters on their keyboards.”

Calling the attack “an act of war,”Jubeir was asked about Saudi Arabia’s intentions towards Iran; he replied: “We have said we reserve the right to respond in the appropriate manner, at the appropriate time.”

“This is not the first time that missiles have been lobbed at Saudi Arabia; Iranian missiles,” Jubeir claimed. Citing article 51of the UN charter, Jubeir said, "Iranians cannot interfere in the affairs of the countries of the region whether in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, or Bahrain, and expect to get a free pass."

“Iranians have violated the UN charter and international law by targeting and allowing their proxies to target civilians in Saudi Arabia,” Jubeir explained.

نعي تماما ان جمهورية ايران ، بحزبها و حشدها و عصائبها ، هي الخطر الحقيقي على المنطقة بأسرها. و افعالها تؤكد ضرورة كبحها و إزالة خطرها

— خالد بن ‏أحمد (@khalidalkhalifa) November 6, 2017

Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed wrote Monday on Twitter, "We are totally aware that the Republic of Iran poses a real danger on the entire region."

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen closed the country's air, sea and land borders Monday, and accused Iran of being responsible for the ballistic missile attack on Riyadh. Saudi Arabia managed to successfully intercept and destroy the missile.