Saudis held a press conference
The lower one is Quds. I'm a bit concerned its not Quds. There are minor differences. Could be Quds variant.
They can't. They don't believe they can match Tehran militarily.
Hence why they called the attacks "Iranian sponsored", when it's unlikely the missiles were fired from Iranian proxies, or if they were, they definitely had IRGC assistance, which amounts to direct Iranian involvement. It's also ignoring US accusations they came straight from Iran.
Because if they blamed Iran directly, it would raise the stakes and they'd have to respond militarily and escalate further.
Similar to how the Israelis deliberately avoided taking responsibility for strikes in Syria for a long time, and how the Syrians claim no damage was done. Because if you maintain plausible deniability over weakness, it allows everybody to save face, even when everybody knows what's really going on.
The Saudis don't want to say "Iran has shown the capacity to buttfuck us, and if we started shooting back, we'd eventually lose". But that's what's going through their mind. So they'll drop bombs on Abu Kamal instead.
If you are unironically cannot see at least 5 possible actors, motivations and strategies in current events around Iran, I doubt you're worth my time explaining it. Just look at the pretty pictures, then go take a bath with a toaster.
>reduce a regional rival’s oil income
>damage an enemy that’s attacking your proxies in Yemen
>punishing Sunni infidels
>projecting an image of strength both internally and to potential enemies
>demonstrate an ability to effect the world economy if they don’t get their way
As long as the US decides to let them get away with it, the Iranians can only gain from actions like this.
Is this what you had in mind?
If Iran is so stronk why did they need Russia to save them against goat farmers in Syria and why do they never retaliate when Israel bombs them weekly?
fucking state of today's Jow Forums... shit.
Iranians are routinely putting English lettering on their weapons. Look it up.
>WhY WoUlD IrAn Do THiS iT MuST Be FaLsE fLaG
actually not hard to figure out. Iran's economy is being raped by US sanctions and they're desperate. Just like when North Korea gets desperate they start attacking SK (see those various artillery/sub attacks during the early 2010s) so does Iran strike out at their neighbors when they're crying for help. They hope it'll lead to rounds of negotiations that will give them more aid to keep them afloat, specifically from the EU.
If EU agrees to give more aid to them (macron has promised $25 billion in gibs for Iran but it's still not enough) or if a new Democrat administration lifts sanctions on them Iran will probably stop lashing out like this as much for a time.
Basically, they're poor and want more welfare and don't know how to react besides lashing out. Kim Jong-Il mastered this negotiating tactic.