Report: Saudi Arabia braces for 'coordinated attacks' from Iraqi militias and Houthis

A Saudi official told CNN that Saudi Arabia is preparing for the possibility of 'coordinated attacks' from Iraqi militias operating in conjunction with the Iran-backed Houthis. According to him, 'many intelligence reports' have been received indicating that attacks could occur 'in the very near future.' The militias operate in coordination with the Houthis and under the direction of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The report comes ahead of a trilateral summit of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan in Mecca.

A Saudi official told CNN that Saudi Arabia is preparing for the possibility of 'coordinated attacks' from Iraqi militias operating in conjunction with the Iran-backed Houthis. According to him, 'many intelligence reports' have been received from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region indicating that attacks could occur 'in the very near future.' According to the same official, the Iraqi militias operate in coordination with the Houthis and under the direction of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. He expressed concern over the developments and noted that they come at a time when Saudi Arabia is working to promote calm in the region, and at a stage where negotiations, in his words, are progressing in a positive direction. 'The Kingdom will take all necessary steps to deal with any aggression,' the official said. The report follows a report published last night by Reuters news agency, according to which Saudi Arabia is preparing for the possibility of a coordinated attack from Iraqi militias and the Houthis in Yemen. The report is published ahead of a joint summit of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, expected to take place on Friday in Mecca. According to regional sources, during the summit the three countries are expected to announce a joint defense agreement. The report on the possibility of attacks comes a day after the Houthis claimed they attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. It was also noted that in recent weeks Saudi Arabia has been the target of missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen and drone attacks from pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.