Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan attacked Iran early Thursday morning and declared that "the kingdom reserves the right to take military measures if it deems them necessary," following recent strikes on Gulf states, including the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The Islamic Republic's war command threatened on Wednesday to escalate following the Israeli strike on the South Pars gas field in southern Pars. The command threatened to strike energy, gas, and oil facilities across the Middle East. Missiles were subsequently fired toward Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Bin Farhan called on Iran to reconsider its miscalculations and to immediately halt its attacks against the kingdom and other Gulf states. He stressed that "patience has limits."
Video: An Iranian strike on Saudi Arabia
Following a meeting with foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic nations, bin Farhan added, "We condemn Iran's attacks on the Arab Gulf states and call on it to stop them immediately and abandon its hostile policy. Iran shirks responsibility for its attacks that harm civilians and supports militias and extremist groups. It has grown accustomed to committing crimes and then denying them. This no longer fools anyone."
The Saudi foreign minister made clear that Riyadh and the other Gulf states will not accept Iranian extortion and are capable of responding to its attacks through diplomatic and other means. "Iran has not understood the message," he said. "It has overstepped toward its neighbors, and its attacks on energy supply lines will affect the world."
