Saudi Arabia is building its own ballistic missiles, with the help of China. This was supported by the US broadcaster CNN, which in an exclusive report states that US intelligence agencies have been informed about a series of clues collected, including satellite photos, classified.
If confirmed, the hypothesis would complicate the situation in the Middle East, also changing the strategic balance, while the Western powers, led by the US, are trying to bring under control the nuclear program of Iran, the historical enemy of Saudi Arabia.
Until now, CNN writes, it was known that Riyadh, which does not receive assistance in this field from Washington, had bought missiles from China, but had never tried to build their own. The satellite images shown by CNN would refer to the Al Dawadmi site and show a well used to burn solid ballistic missile fuels.
According to CNN, "US executives from various intelligence agencies, including the National Security Council at the White House, have been kept abreast of classified intelligence information in recent months, revealing multiple large-scale transfers of sensitive technology on ballistic missiles between China and Saudi Arabia, according to informed sources ".
CNN has consulted the Beijing Foreign Ministry in this regard, which stated, in a statement, that China and Saudi Arabia are "all-round strategic partners" and have maintained "friendly cooperation relations in all fields, including that of military trade. This cooperation does not violate any international law and does not include the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction ”.
Iran practices ballistic missiles
Iran fired 16 ballistic missiles yesterday, at the end of five days of military maneuvers conducted according to the Tehran military as a warning against Israel and beyond.
"These exercises were designed to respond to the threats made in recent days by the Zionist regime "General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic, told state television.
"During this exercise, part of the hundreds of Iranian missiles capable of destroying a country that dares to attack Iran were deployed.“, Bagheri explained.
The use of ballistic missiles during the exercise was condemned in a statement from Great Britain, speaking of a "flagrant violation of resolution 2231 of the UN Security Council " and of "a threat to regional and international security".