JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
NORTH KOREA FIRES RECORD 23 MISSLES OVER NIGHT. BENJAMIN IS ON HIS WAY TO VICTORY IN ISRAEL.
2022 electionsLapid said preparing for prospect of power transition-With 86% of votes tallied, Netanyahu on verge of breaking deadlock, regaining power-Partial results give Likud leader’s bloc 65 seats, with far-right set to gain unprecedented power; however, vote landscape can change if Meretz, Balad cross threshold-By Michael Bachner-NOV 2,22-Today, 1:01 pm 16
As the ballots in the Knesset election were being tallied Wednesday, all signs were pointing to a resounding victory for opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his bloc of right-wing, far-right and religious parties, a result that could end a political crisis that has seen five general elections held in under four years.With some 86 percent of the votes counted, the bloc of parties loyal to Netanyahu was predicted to win 65 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, a comfortable majority, although the numbers were expected to shift as officials had yet to begin tallying the so-called double-envelope ballots cast by members of security forces, prisoners, people with disabilities, diplomats serving abroad, and others.The coalition shaping up to be Israel’s next is made up of Netanyahu’s Likud party, ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, and the far-right Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich, which includes extremist Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit faction. Ben Gvir is seen as the biggest star of the election, having gone from leading a fringe party to becoming a popular leader in a party representing some 10% of Israeli voters.If the results don’t change significantly, it would mark a stunning comeback for Netanyahu, currently on trial in three corruption cases, and end four years of political stalemates that have dragged the country through a series of elections.But critics warn that it could also hand power to ultra-nationalists such as Ben Gvir and his political partner Bezalal Smotrich, who could strip Arab citizens of rights, defang the Supreme Court and pass legislation that will do away with Netanyahu’s legal woes, and ratchet up societal divisions.The critical remaining factor was the fate of the left-wing Meretz party and the hardline Arab party Balad, which were both hovering barely under the 3.25% minimal electoral threshold. Meretz was predicted to get 3.19% while Balad was at 3.01%, meaning that as it stands, both parties will not be in the next Knesset.The only scenario that could thwart the Netanyahu bloc’s majority is if both Meretz and Balad end up above the threshold and if fellow left-wing Labor party — currently at 3.57% — doesn’t fall below it.Hebrew media reported that Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party was already preparing for a possible power transition, with Lapid intending to phone Netanyahu as soon as the final results are published, which could take several days.Facing potential political oblivion, Meretz MK Mossi Raz told Army Radio Wednesday morning: “What we are seeing are partial results. We maintain cautious optimism. We will continue to represent our voters, even if outside the coalition or outside the Knesset.”Meanwhile, an unnamed senior Labor politician was quoted lashing out against party leader Merav Michaeli following Labor’s apparent poor showing.The party member said Labor — the ruling party during Israel’s first few decades and a major political force until a few years ago — was saved by party loyalists who voted for Labor despite Michaeli, the Ynet news site reported.“We expect her to draw the obvious conclusions, otherwise we will send her home,” he said. “It is unbelievable that the Labor Party is struggling to cross the electoral threshold. Merav is a colossal failure and disconnected from reality.”On the other side of the political divide, Ben Gvir told reporters that he would work for all the people of Israel.Ben Gvir vowed to be part of a “completely right-wing” government, but added: “I want to say that I’ll work for all of Israel, even those who hate me.”Earlier in the morning, Netanyahu himself told supporters that he was “on the cusp of a huge victory,” promising a government that would restore pride to Israel and make it strong again.“If the actual results reflect the exit polls, I’ll set up a national government that will look after all the citizens of Israel,” he told supporters, using a word for that is also used to describe nationalist sentiment.Earlier, his chief rival Lapid refused to concede defeat, telling party faithful in Tel Aviv to wait until all votes were counted and saying his Yesh Atid party had secured record levels of support.“They want politics not based on hate and incitement,” Lapid said of his voters.One party that fell well below the threshold was Ayelet Shaked’s Jewish Home, which ran with a pro-Netanyahu campaign but was met with little support due to anger among its potential voter base over Shaked having joined the current government that ousted Netanyahu last year after 12 years in power.Jewish Home only got 1.17% of the votes, according to the non-final results, but a report by Channel 12 news claimed that Shaked running until the end had been coordinated with Netanyahu, in an attempt to increase the general vote count, thus increasing the number of votes needed to pass the 3.25% electoral threshold and potentially helping to sink some rival parties.On Tuesday night, exit polls from Israel’s major networks gave Netanyahu a clear path back to power, with 62 seats between his Likud faction, the far-right Religious Zionism and the Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. At least 61 seats are needed to secure a majority and form a government in the 120-seat Knesset.As pollsters revised their findings and early returns began to come in overnight, the numbers shifted more in Netanyahu’s favor.Israel has been rocked by political turmoil since a Netanyahu-led government fell apart in late 2018. Two rounds of elections, in April 2019 and September 2019, failed to yield a winner, and a short-lived unity government formed after the third vote in March 2020 collapsed after less than a year.Starting in June 2021, Lapid’s unlikely coalition, which he helmed with his predecessor as premier Naftali Bennett, managed to push Netanyahu from power after over a decade, but the alliance, which included right-wing Yamina and Islamist Ra’am, struggled to overcome deep ideological divisions and collapsed, partly due to pressure from Netanyahu and his allies.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Why the remaining ballots are likely to sink Balad, confirm Netanyahu’s victory-Arab party, currently below threshold, is critical for denying Likud a majority. But Israel Democracy Institute data shows double-envelope ballots majorly disadvantage Arab parties-By TOI staff-NOV 2,22-Today, 2:22 pm 1
As the vote tallying in this week’s Knesset election nears its final stages, and with the bloc of parties loyal to right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu on course for a convincing victory, all eyes are on the over 600,000 so-called double-envelope ballots, which will determine the fate of two parties opposed to the Likud chairman that are currently hovering just below the minimal threshold for entering the Knesset.With some 85 percent of the votes counted, the Netanyahu-led bloc was predicted to win 65 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, a comfortable majority. The critical remaining factor was the fate of the left-wing Meretz party and the hardline Arab party Balad, which were barely under the 3.25 percent minimal electoral threshold. Meretz was hovering at 3.2% while Balad was at 3.04%, meaning that as it stands, both parties will not be in the next Knesset.But there are still the double-envelope ballots cast by members of security forces, prisoners, hospital patients and staff, diplomats serving abroad, residents of senior-citizen and assisted living facilities, and people who voted at polling stations for those with movement disabilities.For Netanyahu’s bloc to end up without a majority, Meretz and Balad will both likely need to pass the threshold. But how likely is this to happen?According to an analysis by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), the double-envelope ballots have become increasingly significant recently since their share of all ballots has more than doubled over the past few national votes — from 5.5% in April 2019 to 6.3% in September 2019, 7.2% in 2020, and 9.6% in 2021. In this week’s election, the figure is over 12.5%.This is in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many Israelis vote in designated booths, according to IDI researchers Dr. Or Anabi and Prof. Ofer Kenig. But it is also a result of more and more Israelis taking advantage of accessible polling stations meant for those with disabilities, which give people the option not to vote at their assigned polling station according to their address on record. In practice, anyone can arrive at these stations, sign a declaration that they are disabled, and vote. While it is illegal, there is no enforcement.According to the IDI, in previous elections, the double-envelope ballots — which disproportionately represent young Jewish voters — tended to favor right-wing parties and trendy fringe parties, while significantly disadvantaging ultra-Orthodox and Arab parties, which would mean the chance of Balad passing the threshold is slim.“It is quite likely that if any of [the Arab parties] are hanging on to the electoral threshold by their fingernails after all the regular ballots have been counted, the double-envelope ballots will leave them below the threshold and outside the Knesset,” the researchers said in their analysis.However, Meretz has reason for optimism since in the March 2021 election, its share of votes in the double-envelope ballots was slightly higher than among the rest of the votes, which could be enough to propel it into the next Knesset.Meretz making it into the Knesset would decrease the Netanyahu bloc’s majority, but without Balad entering as well, it would likely still garner at least 61 seats — enough for a majority.Therefore, barring an unexpected turn of events, Netanyahu’s election victory is likely to be confirmed by the remaining votes, giving his bloc an outright Knesset majority for the first time in years.
The New York Times-Russian Military Leaders Discussed Use of Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Officials Say-Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt-Wed, November 2, 2022 at 8:04 AM
WASHINGTON — Senior Russian military leaders recently had conversations to discuss when and how Moscow might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, contributing to heightened concern in Washington and allied capitals, according to multiple senior American officials.President Vladimir Putin was not a part of the conversations, which were held against the backdrop of Russia’s intensifying nuclear rhetoric and battlefield setbacks.But the fact that senior Russian military leaders were even having the discussions alarmed the Biden administration because it showed how frustrated Russian generals were about their failures on the ground, and suggests that Putin’s veiled threats to use nuclear weapons might not just be words.Still, American officials said they had seen no evidence that the Russians were moving nuclear weapons into place or taking other tactical measures to prepare for a strike.The intelligence about the conversations was circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.U.S. officials would not describe the scenarios the military leaders considered for use of a nuclear weapon. However, William J. Burns, the CIA director, has previously said that Putin’s “potential desperation” to extract a victory in Ukraine and setbacks in the war could lead Russia to use one.John F. Kirby, a National Security Council official, declined to comment on “the particulars of this reporting.”“We’ve been clear from the outset that Russia’s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously,” Kirby said. “We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use.”The Pentagon estimates that Russia has a stockpile of as many as 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which are designed to be used on battlefields to overwhelm conventional forces. No tactical nuclear weapon has ever been used in combat, but one could be deployed any number of ways, including by missile or artillery shell.Tactical nuclear weapons carry lower yields and are meant to be used at shorter ranges than the warheads carried on intercontinental ballistic missiles.Military experts say the use of a nuclear weapon — for the first time in more than 75 years — would fundamentally change the shape of war. Although the resulting destruction would depend on many factors, including the weapon’s size and the winds, even a small nuclear explosion could cause thousands of deaths and render parts of Ukraine uninhabitable.Putin has sole authority over whether to use a tactical device and would make the decision to deploy one regardless of the views of his generals.The new intelligence surfaced when Moscow was also promoting the baseless notion that Ukraine was planning to use a so-called dirty bomb — a conventional explosive laced with radioactive material. And it came amid a flurry of contacts between U.S. and other Western officials and their Russian counterparts, including two calls between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu.While the risk of further escalation remains troublingly high, Biden administration officials and U.S. allies also say that the phone calls between Western and Russian counterparts late last month helped ease some of the nuclear tensions. A speech by Putin last Thursday in which he denied that Moscow was preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine further lowered the temperature, according to some of the officials.“We see no need for that,” Putin said in his speech. “There is no point in that, neither political, nor military.”Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February and suffered significant casualties, Putin himself has fanned fears that he might resort to a nuclear weapon.A European official said the speech was seen among allies as part of Putin’s regular pattern of inflaming tensions, watching the reaction of the West and his own public, then taking steps to calm the situation.Russia conducted an annual military exercise last week testing nuclear-capable missiles. Austin said U.S. officials did not believe the maneuvers were “some kind of cover activity” to use a tactical nuclear weapon against Ukraine.In Washington, administration officials say they still do not think Putin has made plans to use a tactical nuclear weapon or even a dirty bomb.“We have not seen anything to indicate that Putin has made a decision to use a dirty bomb,” Austin told reporters at the Pentagon last Thursday. He said that even talk of the use of nuclear weapons was “dangerous.”But he said the administration was “certainly concerned about escalation,” as it has been since the war started.“It would be the first time a nuclear weapon has been used in over 70 years,” he said. “If this happened, we have been clear from the very beginning that you would see a very significant response from the international community.”Biden administration officials have steadfastly refused to publicly describe what that response would be, but the president has indicated he has no plans to retaliate with a U.S. nuclear device.“I’m the guy that makes the recommendation to my boss on what we should do and how we should do it, and so I’ll make sure that he has credible responses that are actually effective in terms of what we want to do,” Austin said, without elaborating.For Putin, using a smaller-yield, tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine presents more complications than ordering the firing of a strategic weapon, like an ICBM. Moving a tactical nuclear weapon is not simply a matter of giving an order and having two people turn keys.There would be practical steps that Russian commanders would be alerted to be ready to carry out, including how to mitigate any risk to Russian military personnel in the blast area.“If there’s an order from the Kremlin, it can’t just magically happen,” Peter B. Zwack, a retired one-star Army general who was the U.S. defense attaché in Moscow from 2012 to 2014, said in an interview last week.From the beginning of the war, U.S. intelligence agencies have been looking for signs that Putin is taking preparatory steps to use a nuclear weapon, such as undeclared nuclear exercises or strategic forces being put on alert.But American officials said that the warning systems to detect such steps were imperfect, and that there was no guarantee that military or intelligence officials would be able to give the White House much advance warning. That is one reason the intelligence about the Russian discussions was viewed with such interest.With the high-level nuclear discussions, the Russian military is weighing what might prompt Moscow’s use of a tactical weapon. And any additional intense discussions among senior leaders about the use of a nuclear weapon is something American officials have been profoundly concerned about — especially if Russia’s army in the south of Ukraine were to collapse.Tensions over nuclear weapon use have been rising steadily since Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in early September.Since then, Putin has taken steps to escalate the conflict — calling for a mobilization, annexing territory in Ukraine, getting more directly involved in war planning, and approving a campaign to attack and degrade the electrical power grid of Ukraine with cruise missiles and Iranian drones.Those steps have not changed Russia’s fortunes, and Ukrainian forces continue to move forward on fronts in the northeast and the south.Still, some of those escalatory moves, like bringing in more troops, could have more impact on the battlefield by early next year.Officials expect intense fighting to continue into next month, but muddier conditions and colder weather in the next few weeks could force a pause into earlier next year.
Bloomberg-North Korea Fires Off Biggest-Ever Daily Missile Barrage-Sangmi Cha and Jon Herskovitz-Wed, November 2, 2022 at 7:11 AM
(Bloomberg) -- North Korea fired at least 23 missiles Wednesday including the first ballistic one to fly over a nautical border with South Korea, in its biggest daily barrage under leader Kim Jong Un.The launches came about a day after Pyongyang threatened to take “powerful measures” if the US doesn’t halt military drills with partners including South Korea, in what might be an effort by Kim to lay the groundwork for his first nuclear test in five years.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the launch a territorial violation, and his country responded a few hours after barrages were fired off in the morning by firing three air-to surface missiles into international waters on North Korea’s side of the sea border known as the Northern Limit Line. South Korea also closed some air routes east of the peninsula for safety reasons, the transport ministry said.The North Korean missiles were fired in batches that included four short-range ballistic missiles at 6:51 a.m., three short-range ballistic missiles at 8:51 a.m. and 10 missiles of various types fired to the east and west at 9:12 a.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It confirmed an additional six surface-to-air missiles were shot off later in the day and that Pyongyang also fired about 100 artillery shells into a maritime buffer zone off the east coast.One of the missiles fired at about 8:51 a.m. fell into international waters some 26 kilometers (16 miles) south of the sea border known as the Northern Limit Line, it said.‘Unprecedented’ ProvocationUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin discussed the launches and condemned what they saw as an “unprecedented” military provocation, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said in a statement.The missiles triggered the first ever air raid alert on South Korea’s Ulleung Island, about 100 kms east of the coast. South Korea last sounded such a warning in 2016, after a long-range rocket launched by North Korea prompted an alert on an island near a western sea border, an interior ministry official said.South Korea protested the launches, which came as it was in a national mourning period for 156 people killed in a crowd crush at a nightlife district in Seoul over the weekend. South Korea’s military also raised its alertness level, Yonhap News Agency reported.South Korean and Japanese defense stocks advanced after North Korea began its latest short-range ballistic missile barrage, with Hanwha Aerospace Co. surging as much as 5.9% to its highest since Sept. 26.The tit-for-tat missile exchange is an escalation of tensions after the two Koreas on Oct. 24 fired warning shots at each near a nautical border on the west side of the peninsula. Earlier that day, Seoul said a merchant vessel from its neighbor crossed the sea border. That exchange coincided with the US and South Korea beginning joint naval drills that included warships such as guided-missile destroyers.“We have been in the season of North Korean provocations for the past couple months, so the latest missile launch should not be seen as an anomalous behavior,” said Soo Kim, a policy analyst with the Rand Corp. who previously worked at the Central Intelligence Agency.The largest single-day ballistic missile barrage under Kim had been on June 5 of this year when North Korea fired eight short-range missiles from four locations within about 35 minutes, South Korea’s military said. The test appeared to be a demonstration of the state’s ability to quickly deploy and fire off missiles from various sites, which could make it difficult for US-operated interceptors in the region to shoot them down.The US and South Korea this week started air drills known as Vigilant Storm that will run through Friday and involve about 240 aircraft in about 1,600 sorties to “hone their wartime capabilities,” the US 7th Air Force said in a statement. The drills have added to a series of joint exercises on land, sea and air in recent weeks, some of which have also included Japan, that have led to complaints and provocations from Pyongyang.Since the end of September, when the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group was in the region for exercises, North Korea has fired one of its biggest barrages of missiles under Kim.The US, Japan and South Korea have warned Kim could soon raise the stakes even higher with a nuclear test, which would be its first in five years and seventh overall. Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have all promised a harsh and coordinated punishment if Pyongyang sets off an atomic device, which would be a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.The test might be used to advance Kim’s pursuit of miniaturized nuclear warheads to mount on missiles to strike South Korea and Japan, which host the bulk of America’s troops in Asia.The North Korean leader is finding space to ramp up provocations as the Biden administration focuses on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia and China, two long-time partners of North Korea, have veto power at the UN Security Council and have shown no intent to punish Kim with extra sanctions.“North Korea has made it clear, at the highest levels of the government, that it will respond to US and South Korean military drills in kind, and it will not back down,” said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a regional issues manager at the Vienna-based Open Nuclear Network who worked as an analyst for the CIA’s Open Source Enterprise for almost two decades.“We can thus expect North Korea to continue stepping up military activities and weapons tests,” she said, adding this could include an inter-Korean military conflict in the Yellow Sea and a seventh nuclear test.--With assistance from Sophie Jackman, Shinhye Kang, Seyoon Kim, Philip Glamann, Youkyung Lee and Muneeza Naqvi.(Updates with additional missiles in lead, third paragraph.)
North Korea threatens South, US with ‘most horrible price in history’ Pyongyang ups rhetoric against rivals’ ongoing military drills, warning it will use nuclear weapons if Washington or Seoul attacks; accuses Pentagon of planning regime collapse-By Hyung-Jin Kim-1 November 2022, 9:24 pm 0
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea issued a veiled threat Tuesday to use nuclear weapons to get the US and South Korea to “pay the most horrible price in history,” an escalation of its fiery rhetoric targeting the ongoing large-scale military drills between its rivals.Animosities on the Korean Peninsula have been running high in recent months, with North Korea testing a string of nuclear-capable missiles and adopting a law authorizing the preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations. Some experts still doubt North Korea could use nuclear weapons first in the face of more superior US and South Korean forces.North Korea has argued its recent weapons tests were meant to issue a warning to Washington and Seoul over their series of joint military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, including this week’s exercises involving about 240 warplanes.Pak Jong Chon, a secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party who is considered a close confidant of leader Kim Jong Un, called the so-called“Vigilant Storm” air force drills “aggressive and provocative.”Pak also accused the Pentagon of formulating a North Korean regime collapse as a major policy objective in an apparent reference to the Pentagon’s recently released National Defense Strategy report. The report stated any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners “will result in the end of that regime.”He slammed South Korean military leaders over what he called “rubbish” comments that threatened to destroy North Korea if it uses nuclear weapons. South Korea’s military has warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a “path of self-destruction.”“If the US and South Korea attempt to use armed forces against (North Korea) without any fear, the special means of the (North’s) armed forces will carry out their strategic mission without delay,” Pak said, in an apparent reference to his country’s nuclear weapons.“The US and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history,” he said.US and South Korean officials have steadfastly said their drills are defensive in nature and that they have no intentions of attacking North Korea.Pak’s statement is the North’s second warning to the United States and South Korea this week. On Monday, the North’s Foreign Ministry warned of “more powerful follow-up measures” in response to its rivals’ air force drills.South Korean officials have said North Korea could up the ante in coming weeks by detonating its first nuclear test device since September 2017, which could possibly take the country a step closer to its goals of building a full-fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening regional U.S. allies and the American mainland.Some experts say North Korea would eventually want to use its expanded nuclear arsenal as a leverage in future negotiations with the United States to win sanctions relief and other concessions.
US officials say Saudis warning Iran may attack the kingdom imminently-National Security Council ‘concerned about the threat picture,’ warns there will no hesitation to act in defense of American regional interests and partners-By AAMER MADHANI, Matthew Lee and Lolita C. Baldor-NOV 2,22-Today, 2:46 pm 0
WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom, three US officials said Tuesday.The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Saudi Arabia come as the Biden administration is criticizing Tehran for its crackdown on widespread protests and condemning it for sending hundreds of drones — as well as technical support — to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” the National Security Council said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did Iran’s mission to the United Nations.One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing described it as a credible threat of an attack “soon or within 48 hours.” No US embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Asked about reports of the intelligence shared by the Saudis, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said US military officials “are concerned about the threat situation in the region.”“We’re in regular contact with our Saudi partners, in terms of what information they may have to provide on that front,” Ryder said. “But what we’ve said before, and I’ll repeat it, is that we will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere.”State Department spokesperson Ned Price said America was “concerned about the threat picture,” without elaborating.The Wall Street Journal first reported on the Saudis sharing the intelligence on Tuesday. Iran has alleged without providing evidence that Saudi Arabia and other rivals are fomenting the dissent on its streets by ordinary Iranians.Of particular ire is protest coverage by Iran International, a London-based, Farsi-language satellite news channel once majority-owned by a Saudi national.The US and Saudis blamed Iran in 2019 of being behind a major attack in eastern Saudi Arabia, which halved the oil-rich kingdom’s production and caused energy prices to spike. The Iranians denied they were behind the attack, but the same triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying drones used in that attack are now being deployed by Russian forces in their war on Ukraine.The Saudis have also been hit repeatedly in recent years by drones, missiles and mortars launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Saudi Arabia formed a coalition to battle the Houthis in 2015 and has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes in the war, which have killed scores of civilians.In recent weeks, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials for the brutal crackdown on demonstrators after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September after her arrest by Iran’s morality police. The administration has also hit Iran with sanctions for supplying drones to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.At least 288 people have been killed and 14,160 arrested during the protests, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Demonstrations have continued, even as the feared paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned young Iranians to stop.Iran already launched a series of attacks targeting Kurdish separatist positions in northern Iraq amid the protests, killing at least 16 people, including an American citizen.US relations with Saudi Arabia have also been strained after the Riyadh-led alliance of oil producing nations, OPEC+, announced in October that it would cut production by 2 million barrels per day starting in November.White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday reiterated that the administration remains concerned that Iran may also provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles.“We haven’t seen that concern bear out, but it’s a concern we have,” Kirby said.Even as the US and others raise concerns about possible Iranian action, the administration has not ruled out the possibility of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was brokered by the Obama administration and scrapped in 2018 by the Trump administration.The US special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, said on Monday that the administration was not currently focused on the deal, which has been stalled since August.Still, Malley refused to declare the deal dead and said the administration “makes no apology” for “trying to do everything we can to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”The deal had provided Tehran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for the country agreeing to roll back its nuclear program. It includes caps on enrichment and how much material Iran can stockpile and limits the operation of advanced centrifuges needed to enrich.
