Israel invites Saudis to share intelligence in drive against Iran

‘We are ready to exchange intelligence to confront Iran. There are many common interests between us’

ISRAEL’S senior military commander has given an unprecedented interview to a Saudi website, offering to share intelligence between the Jewish state and the Arab regional power in a joint effort to counter Iran.

Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot told the Saudi-owned Elaph site that Saudi Arabia and Israel – two countries that do not have diplomatic relations – should work together in a “new international alliance” against Iran.

“We are ready to exchange experiences with moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence to confront Iran,” the Israeli chief of staff said.

“We are ready to share information if necessary. There are many common interests between us and them.”

The general’s words and his decision to grant the interview to an Arab outlet show the growing ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel over their alarm at Iran’s influence in the Middle East. Hours earlier, Adel al-jubeir, the Saudis’ foreign minister, lambasted both Iran and Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran and seen as a mortal enemy by Israel.

“Hizbollah is a Grade A terrorist organisation,” Mr Jubeir said, in words which match Israel’s description of the group. “Whenever we see a problem, we see Hizbollah act as an arm or agent of Iran and this has to come to an end.”

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s runaway prime minister, Saad Hariri, is reportedly planning to leave Saudi Arabia for France, deepening the mystery of his future after his surprise resignation.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said he had invited Mr Hariri and his family to France but denied that he was offering the Lebanese leader a chance to go into exile.

Mr Hariri, who has not returned to Lebanon since announcing his resignation in a statement from Riyadh two weeks ago, will reportedly travel to Paris in the next two days before going on to the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Michel Aoun, Lebanon’s president, has so far refused to accept his resignation until Mr Hariri tenders it in person, and accused Saudi Arabia of coercing him into the decision and then detaining him against his will.

Gen Eisenkot said Israel had “no intention” of launching an attack on Hizbollah in southern Lebanon but also warned that he would not accept the group’s military build-up becoming “a strategic threat” to Israel.

He said he believed Iran was trying to establish dominance in the Middle East through two “Shia crescents”, one from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and a second from Bahrain to Yemen. He stressed that while Israel and Saudi Arabia have never had diplomatic relations, the two sides had never actually fought against each other.

Under Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has led a blockade against its neighbour Qatar partly over the emirate’s ties with Iran and many suspect Riyadh forced Mr Hariri to resign as a way of countering Hizbollah’s influence in the Lebanese government.

Gen Eisenkot added that Donald Trump’s presidency had created “an opportunity to build a new international coalition in the region”.