US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Iran Interference Makes It Difficult to Find a Path for Peace in Yemen

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat
US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat
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US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Iran Interference Makes It Difficult to Find a Path for Peace in Yemen

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat
US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid holds videoconference meeting with the media, Asharq Al-Awsat

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid on Wednesday stressed the importance of promoting security in the Middle East and deterring the malign Iranian threat in the region, confirming that Iranian interference in Yemen is blocking the path to peace.

Abizaid’s remarks were made at a videoconference meeting attended by Asharq Al-Awsat.

The roundtable with journalists touched on a number of topics, including US relations with Saudi Arabia and policy on regional threats in the Middle East.

While the world waits on the results of the upcoming US election, Abizaid said that he sees no change in the future relationship between Riyadh and Washington.

“There may be some emphasis on different areas that will be different, but I wouldn’t anticipate that the relationship will be anything other than what it has been for 75 years, which is the rock of stability in the region,” he said.

It is worth noting that on October 14, the US and Saudi Arabia held a strategic in Washington.

Abizaid referred to Saudi Arabia's efforts to free US citizens who were held hostage by terrorist Houthi militia in Yemen.

The abducted US nationals were working to restore peace to Yemen alongside Saudi Arabia and UN Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths.

Iranian interference in Yemen makes it more difficult for Houthis to find a path for peace, the US diplomat noted.

Abizaid affirmed that Saudi Arabia and the US share a common goal centered on promoting peace and stability in the region.

Speaking about threats in the region, Abizaid pointed out to Iran deploying its arms in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Referring to the Saudi-US dialogue, Abizaid said the discussions in Washington focused on cooperation in defense, security and intelligence, and critical infrastructure protection, along with promoting resilient energy markets, “especially in light of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Of course, we also talked about the importance of using only trusted vendors and critical information and communications technology in exploring new areas of cooperation and cybersecurity and other areas,” he added.



Iran Attack on Qatar Air Base Hit Geodesic Dome Used for US Communications, Satellite Photos Show

This handout photo from the US Air Force shows Lt. Col. Carlos Alford, 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron commander, in front of the Modernized Enterprise Terminal at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Jan. 21, 2016. (Master Sgt. Joshua Strang/U.S. Air Force via AP)
This handout photo from the US Air Force shows Lt. Col. Carlos Alford, 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron commander, in front of the Modernized Enterprise Terminal at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Jan. 21, 2016. (Master Sgt. Joshua Strang/U.S. Air Force via AP)
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Iran Attack on Qatar Air Base Hit Geodesic Dome Used for US Communications, Satellite Photos Show

This handout photo from the US Air Force shows Lt. Col. Carlos Alford, 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron commander, in front of the Modernized Enterprise Terminal at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Jan. 21, 2016. (Master Sgt. Joshua Strang/U.S. Air Force via AP)
This handout photo from the US Air Force shows Lt. Col. Carlos Alford, 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron commander, in front of the Modernized Enterprise Terminal at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Jan. 21, 2016. (Master Sgt. Joshua Strang/U.S. Air Force via AP)

An Iranian attack on an air base in Qatar that's key to the US military hit a geodesic dome housing equipment used by the Americans for secure communications, satellite images analyzed Friday by The Associated Press show.

Hours after the publication of this AP report, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell acknowledged that an Iranian ballistic missile had hit the dome. Qatar did not respond to requests for comment about the damage.

The Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha, Qatar's capital, on June 23 came as a response to the American bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran — and provided Iran a way to retaliate that quickly led to a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump ending the 12-day Iran-Israel war.

The Iranian attack otherwise did little damage — likely because of the fact that the US evacuated its aircraft from the base, which is home to the forward headquarters of the US military's Central Command, before the attack.

Trump also has said that Iran signaled when and how it would retaliate, allowing American and Qatari air defense to be ready for the attack, which briefly disrupted air travel in the Middle East, but otherwise didn't tip over into the regional war long feared by analysts.

Images show burn marks, dome gone after attack

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC show the geodesic dome visible at the Al Udeid Air Base on the morning of June 23, just hours before the attack.

The US Air Force's 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which operates out of the base, announced in 2016 the installation of the $15 million piece of equipment, known as a modernized enterprise terminal. Photos show a satellite dish inside of the dome, known as a radome.

Images taken June 25 and every day subsequently show the dome is gone, with some damage visible on a nearby building. The rest of the base appears largely untouched in the images.