Saudi Arabia denies working with Israel on contingency plan for potential attack on Iran

November 18, 2013 – TEL AVIV – Saudis say they have “no relations, contacts with Israel at any level.” Saudi Arabia has denied on Monday working with Israel on contingency plans for a potential attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Sunday Times reported that Riyadh has given its consent to Israel to use Saudi airspace for a potential attack on Iran. In addition, the paper quoted a diplomatic source as saying the Saudis were willing to assist an Israeli attack by cooperating on the use of drones, rescue helicopters and tanker planes. Both Jerusalem and Riyadh have expressed displeasure at the deal being formulated between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers that they see as doing little to stop Tehran’s progress toward a nuclear weapon. “Once the Geneva agreement is signed, the military option will be back on the table. The Saudis are furious and are willing to give Israel all the help it needs,” the Times quoted the source as saying.  But on Monday, a Saudi foreign ministry spokesman said the kingdom “has no relations or contacts with Israel of any kind or at any level,’ according to state news agency SPA.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro on Saturday that there is a “meeting of the minds” between Israel and the “leading states in the Arab world” on the Iran issue – “one of the few cases in memory, if not the first case in modern times.” “We all think that Iran should not be allowed to have the capacities to make nuclear weapons,” he said. “We all think that a tougher stance should be taken by the international community. We all believe that if Iran were to have nuclear weapons, this could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, making the Middle East a nuclear tinderbox.” Saying that an Iran with nuclear arms would be the most dangerous development for the world since the mid-20th century, and stressing that the “stakes are amazing,” Netanyahu urged the world’s leaders to pay attention “when Israel and the Arabs see eye-to-eye.” Israel does not have any diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. – Jerusalem Post