Iran points the finger at Saudi Arabia for Mougniyah killing

FBI/Getty Images I find it very interesting that Fars, the Iranian state news agency, is accusing Saudi Arabia and not the Great Satan of masterminding the hit on Hezbollah commander Imad Mougniyah. According to Fars, the Syrians believe that Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi national security advisor and former ambassador to Washington, ordered the assassination. ...

595515_080215_mougniyah2.jpg
595515_080215_mougniyah2.jpg

FBI/Getty Images

FBI/Getty Images

I find it very interesting that Fars, the Iranian state news agency, is accusing Saudi Arabia and not the Great Satan of masterminding the hit on Hezbollah commander Imad Mougniyah.

According to Fars, the Syrians believe that Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi national security advisor and former ambassador to Washington, ordered the assassination. They didn’t want to say anything before the Arab League Summit in Damascus, but they are going to go public with their allegations soon.

Of course, the Syrians aren’t about to let Israel off the hook. They believe Israel was behind the whole operation, according to Fars.

Previously, I speculated that the Saudis might have been involved in Mougniyah’s killing. The Saudis have long sought revenge for the 1996 Khobar Towers attack, which they blame on Mougniyah and Iran. Plus, Bob Woodward reported in 1987 that the Saudis had arranged for a group of Lebanese Christians to kill Hezbollah’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, at the behest of then CIA Director William Casey. Prince Bandar was allegedly involved then, too, so either he’s still at it or the Syrians are simply grasping for the most plausible storyline.

If the Syrians do go public, it will be interesting to see if their allegations derail Iran’s recent back-channel discussions with the United States about Iraq.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.