The IRGC Warns of the “End of Calm at Aramco”

Iran appears to be signaling its response to Saudi involvement in strikes in Iraq. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Mashregh News Agency’s warning that “calm at Aramco” may end, followed by a Houthi strike on Najran Airport in Saudi Arabia, suggests Tehran is reminding Riyadh that further intervention could expose Saudi oil infrastructure to renewed attacks.

• August 3: In a short “analysis,” Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Mashregh News Agency explained Iran’s likely reaction to the Saudi air force’s involvement in strikes against militias in Iraq:
  • “Riyadh, invoking Article 51 of the U.N. Charter – the right to self-defense – has characterized these strikes as a response to drone attacks against its oil facilities. This Washington-Riyadh military synergy signals the emergence of a new operational axis in the region, in which Saudi Arabia is playing a more active role in the military confrontation with the ‘axis of resistance.’ This action, aimed at undermining Iraq’s national sovereignty and projecting the government’s inability to provide security, may be seen as a prelude to intensified pressure on Baghdad to reduce its ties with Tehran and retreat from security cooperation with the ‘axis of resistance.’ How will Iran respond to the attack in Iraq? The end of calm at Aramco!”
• August 4: Reformist Entekhab, quoting a Houthi public statement, reported:
  • “Yemen’s Ansar Allah forces have struck a target at Najran Airport in Saudi Arabia … a drone struck a ‘sensitive target belonging to the Saudi enemy at Najran Airport’ in southern Saudi Arabia, achieving a ‘precise hit.’ The statement added: ‘This attack was carried out in response to the Saudi enemy’s violation of Yemeni airspace over the provinces of Saada and Hajjah using drones.’”

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