US INTEL AND SATELLITE IMAGES SHOWS CHINA HELPING SAUDI ARABIA MAKE BALLISTIC MISSILES

Fri 24 December 2021:

Saudi Arabia is now producing ballistic missiles with China’s help, according to US intelligence services, a move that could have major ramifications for the Middle East and complicate efforts by the Biden administration to control Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Saudi Arabia’s perennial rival.

According to CNN, the Saudis have historically purchased ballistic missiles from China but have never been able to produce their own, until now. Satellite photos obtained by CNN indicate that the Kingdom is producing weapons at one or more locations.

Several US agencies, including the White House National Security Council, have been briefed on classified evidence revealing large-scale transfers of strategic ballistic missile technology between China and Saudi Arabia in recent months.

Now the Biden administration is facing increasingly pressing questions about whether Saudi Arabia’s ballistic missile advances will change regional power dynamics. This can potentially complicate efforts to include missile technology restrictions in a nuclear deal with Iran, a goal shared by the US, Europe, Israel and the Gulf countries.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are bitter enemies, and Tehran is unlikely to agree to stop making ballistic missiles if Saudi Arabia has already begun manufacturing its own.

The US response might also cause diplomatic issues. Any US response could be hampered by diplomatic considerations with China, especially as the Biden administration tries to reengage Beijing on multiple high-priority policy issues, such as climate change, trade, and the pandemic.

It’s just a matter of calibrating, according to a Biden administration official.

The National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency both declined to comment.

When asked if sensitive ballistic missile technology had lately been exchanged between China and Saudi Arabia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the two nations are “comprehensive strategic partners” who continue cordial cooperation in all sectors, including military commerce.

(Picture courtesy: CNN)

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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