U.S., Saudi Arabia On High Alert After Warning Of Imminent Attack From Iran: Report

The United States and Saudi Arabia are reportedly on high alert following an intelligence report warning of an imminent attack from Iran.

The intelligence report from Saudi Arabia was shared with the United States and caused both countries, as well as several other neighboring states, to place their military forces on high alert, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The White House National Security Council said it was concerned about the warnings and would “not hesitate” to respond if Iran carried out an attack.

“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 also said that the United States was “concerned” about “the threat situation” and that the United States was in regular 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 added.

“Saudi officials said Iran is poised to carry out attacks on both the kingdom and Erbil, Iraq, in an effort to distract attention from domestic protests that have roiled the country since September… Iranian authorities have also publicly accused Saudi Arabia, along with the U.S. and Israel, of instigating the demonstrations,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Authorities have struggled to quell the unrest that has occurred almost daily since the death on Sept. 16 of a young woman in police custody for allegedly violating Iran’s strict rules on how women dress in public,” the outlet added. “More than 200 have been killed and over 1,000 arrested in the government’s response to demonstrations that began as a defiant call for women’s rights and have transformed into a movement demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic.”