Russian advisor suggests supporting an Iranian attack against Saudi Arabia

An anonymous adviser on the public advisory board to the Russian military has suggested if the US sends weapons to Ukraine that Russia could support and Iranian attack against Saudi Arabia.

www.businessinsider.com...

Clearly this is just one of the many options being floated and considered at the higher levels of the Russian military and political circles. It seems a likely calculated 'leak' to prompt international reaction against the US plan to arm Ukraine. However it could also be a trial balloon of a wider and more destructive Cold War phase between Russia and the US. Russia is obviously considering developing more proxies to generate increased pressure on the US around the world.

Russia is clearly feeling the pressure of low Oil prices. Any attack against a significant Oil producer would quickly raise Oil prices and help stabilize the Russian economy. This is one of the few ways Russia could influence the price of Oil, which is the critical commodity driving over half the Kremlin's budget.

Ultimately if the US and EU are going to conduct a long term economic war against Russia then Putin will clearly respond in some way. Taking more of Ukraine will not help as the country is poor and will need extensive investment to generate positive economic results. However a Russian supported move against a major Oil producer would immediately help the Russian budget.

If you hear of an attack causing Oil prices to rise due to 'instability'...remember that the showdown between Russia and the US, EU over Ukraine could very well be driving it.

a reply to: noeltrotsky

Iran has been a Russian client for a while now. So this doesn't surprise me.

Russia would support an attack on Saudi Arabia IF Iran spearheads the attack, how silly of them. Russia has GOT to be extremely P'd off about being set back 10 years economically due to the "oil glut", but that type of "calculated leak", as you've suggested it may be, just makes them look even more desperate. Either way, we are seeing how economics is escalating tensions between the countries of the world. Once the financial system crumbles everyone will just blame everyone else and you can be SURE the U.S. will place the blame somewhere, using the media to harbor support from ignorant Americans *sigh


P.S. you see the size of the tank in that article? I would NOT want to be looking down the barrel of that thing! The article said it was a "self-propelled" vehicle, don't understand what that means? a reply to: noeltrotsky

Yes Russia, piss off the Saudis next. That will work out well for you I am sure!

And would Iran allow itself to be a political pawn of Russian interests?

Bet they dont.

a reply to: noeltrotsky

The original article from the fiscal times doesn't mention Iran or Saudi Arabia. Where did they get the info from because it wasn't in the source material?

Eta found it in the Moscow times, an unnamed source.

a reply to: noeltrotsky

The Moscow Times isn`t the best source of information, and is not on the side of the Kremlin, so I would not hold that much value to the information.

The Moscow Times

It's probably the only way Russia will have any influence on the price of oil. Desperate times call for desperate measures and if Russia feel they have nothing to lose and much to gain, then I guess it could be a viable option. Time will tell.

a reply to: Elton

It depends. You are dealing with Sunni v. Shi'a hatred when you are talking about Iran v. Saudi. If the Iranians think they can destroy the Sunnis and take over Mecca?

originally posted by: Elton
Yes Russia, piss off the Saudis next. That will work out well for you I am sure!

And would Iran allow itself to be a political pawn of Russian interests?

The Saudia Arabia instigated drop in the price of oil was directed to harm Russia in the first place, due to Russia's support of Iran and Syria and pipeline plans. The Saudis saw a threat to their dominance and acted, with the prodding of the US to start the oil war. I thought that had been covered sufficiently already on here and elsewhere.

a reply to: Britguy

Meaning a response by Iran and Russia could be "justified" as retaliation for an economic attack. It would be a physical attack against the economic aggressor, which would have the added benefit of immediately improving oil prices.

a reply to: CrikeyMagnet

I'm not sure how Iran can justify this since it was an OPEC move and Iran is still part of OPEC. Russia could claim they have a beef as they are not part of OPEC.

a reply to: FamCore

That's because it's not a tank.

It's an artillery piece. A Howitzer.

Self Propelled is just a fancy way of saying that it moves on it's own and doesn't need to be towed.

a reply to: noeltrotsky

'IF' Iran attacks a country it would be Israel not the Saudis. (common sense.)

a reply to: Britguy

Exactly.

I was about to mention the connection to Syria.
Also the Saudis are one of *the* keyplayers regarding ISIS, which is a threat to Syria under Assad.

Not sure what to think about all this.
The Saudis have it coming IMO... the U.S. won't let any harm come to their OPEC buddies though.

originally posted by: Britguy

originally posted by: Elton
Yes Russia, piss off the Saudis next. That will work out well for you I am sure!

And would Iran allow itself to be a political pawn of Russian interests?

The Saudia Arabia instigated drop in the price of oil was directed to harm Russia in the first place, due to Russia's support of Iran and Syria and pipeline plans. The Saudis saw a threat to their dominance and acted, with the prodding of the US to start the oil war. I thought that had been covered sufficiently already on here and elsewhere.

No it wasn't it's main goal was to keep others out if the Asian market including the United States. Make Oil cheap it makes countries with higher production costs like US and Russia not able to enter Asian market. This actually hurts the US far more than Russia they have more oil than saudis but it requires a more expensive process to extract it.

The US plan was to start exporting to Asia but with cheap oil from the middle east China and others aren't going to want US oil. And said is move effectively blocked Russia's move onto the Asian market as well. Bottom line Opec is no longer the only game in town and now there worried about compitition.

It wouldn't help an oil rich nation to raise the price per barrel if
causing the rise would directly cause the destruction of their oil infrastructure.

Protecting refineries and pipe lines would be impossible if that became the objective
of your enemy.

Russia has to play the game like everyone else. You cant say "they have nothing to lose".

a reply to: nfflhome

Now... is that an argument for Russia's self interest in not participating in an attack on Saudi Arabia... or could you not argue that devaluing oil and destabilizing other countries which directly depend on oil price being high could directly cause the destruction of their oil infrastructure? (i.e. Saudi Arabia should protect their infrastructure as attack is one of the easily foreseeable outcomes of destabilizing economies)

If I was the President when this came out, I would have two questions for the US Intelligence machine:

1) Is this legitimate? Will Russia attack Saudi Arabia if we send weapons to Ukraine...

assuming the answer is yes

2) You have started shipping weapons to Ukraine?...Right?

Ie: I fail to see how this is a threat to the US...seems to me like a beautiful invitation.

a reply to: peck420

Okay. Back up.

Stepping in as protection for a weaker nation has some nobility in it. Being eager to go to war to protect your military involvement in a country you have no reason to be in in the first place... especially a war as big as that would turn into... What is your angle here? I am finding it hard to see what you'd be so excited about.