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20261012 033000 UTC
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[00:00:27] We have just learned about this attack. We will decide about it. We will do this
[00:00:30] quickly. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack
[00:00:33] on Riyadh International Airport. Will the escalation of attacks
[00:00:37] on Saudi Arabia draw the United States into the Yemen war?
[00:00:39] We ask a former British diplomat in the region what he thinks
[00:00:42] of the current situation on the Arabian Peninsula.
[00:00:46] We ask a media activist close to the Houthis why they target
[00:00:49] civilian areas. Also in tonight's program.
[00:00:53] The US Treasury Secretary emphasized the continuation of the devastating siege and sanctions against Iran. Tehran threatened to target internet data centers, cables,
[00:00:56] and AI infrastructure in the region if the war resumes.
[00:01:10] Trump's claim about a Kiev-Moscow agreement on a ceasefire
[00:01:13] in attacks on energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian president said
[00:01:17] he had no information that Russia
[00:01:18] had attacked again.
[00:01:23] Floods in northern Iran killed at least one person,
[00:01:26] damaged infrastructure, and displaced
[00:01:29] a number of people. A look at the devastating effects of war
[00:01:32] on children's learning
[00:01:34] and mental health
[00:01:38] in Iran. 60 minutes live
[00:01:42] from the BBC in London. Hello, I'm Jamaleddin Mousavi.
[00:01:45] After the first Houthi attack
[00:01:47] on Riyadh International Airport, reports now indicate
[00:01:50] a second attack
[00:01:51] on the airport
[00:02:04] in two days. Flight tracking and airline information
[00:02:07] also show that several flights to Dammam
[00:02:11] have been canceled, and flights at this airport
[00:02:15] have also been delayed for at least an hour.
[00:02:18] Before that, hundreds of flights to or from Riyadh
[00:02:22] were either canceled or rerouted to Dammam Airport.
[00:02:25] In addition, the Houthis say they have again
[00:02:29] targeted Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
[00:02:33] The attacks on Saudi Arabian airports have been met
[00:02:37] with widespread international condemnation. Saudi Arabia
[00:02:40] says the Houthis will pay for these attacks.
[00:02:44] US President Donald Trump has said that Saudi Arabia
[00:02:47] can defend itself. The situation
[00:02:50] is becoming more complicated. What new implications
[00:02:54] will this situation have? We will talk more
[00:02:58] about this. First, a report
[00:03:01] from Kasra Naji. Shortly after yesterday's attack
[00:03:05] on Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia,
[00:03:08] at least 12 people
[00:03:09] were killed here.
[00:03:13] More than 300 people were injured, and the condition of some of them
[00:03:16] is reported to be critical.
[00:03:19] An attack in broad daylight on the heart of the capital.
[00:03:23] Saudi Arabia. These are images from surveillance cameras
[00:03:26] of the moment of the explosion. It is reported that the domestic flights
[00:03:30] terminal was targeted. The target was at least one
[00:03:34] drone. This is the third drone and missile attack on this airport
[00:03:38] in the past 8 days. The bloodiest on Saudi soil
[00:03:41] since a suicide terrorist attack 11 years ago.
[00:03:44] An attack that was attributed to ISIS. The Houthis
[00:03:48] have now claimed responsibility for this attack and say
[00:03:51] that Donald Trump told reporters that he is thinking about
[00:03:55] how to respond to this incident. He said any action
[00:03:58] by the United States
[00:05:12] would be immediate and swift. He later
[00:05:16] added that Saudi Arabia could defend itself.
[00:05:20] Saudi Arabia today intensified its attacks on the Houthis
[00:05:23] in Yemen, who are supported by Iran. These are images
[00:05:26] of the bombing of Houthi positions
[00:05:29] around Taiz, Yemen's third largest city,
[00:05:33] which has been under siege by the Houthis for two weeks.
[00:05:36] A city that is under the control of government forces
[00:05:40] supported by Saudi Arabia. Developments in the Strait of Hormuz
[00:05:44] and its surroundings are also concerning. Iran says that an oil
[00:05:47] tanker in the eastern Strait of Hormuz
[00:05:50] near the port of Khorfakkan
[00:05:53] hit a mine and caught fire.
[00:05:57] A large fire, if Iran's report of it hitting a mine
[00:06:00] is true. I think it is very important
[00:06:03] to point out that yesterday's attacks on Riyadh International Airport
[00:06:07] were very adventurous
[00:06:10] and destructive.
[00:07:09] Their effects, apart from the dead and injured,
[00:07:13] will be felt for a long time.
[00:07:16] But here on the Arabian Peninsula and in Saudi Arabia,
[00:07:19] there is a strong sense of resilience.
[00:07:23] I must say that one of my very
[00:07:27] close friends was at this airport
[00:07:31] when the attack happened. And he was describing
[00:07:34] the very professional and calm
[00:07:36] demeanor of the airport staff. How those who were waiting
[00:07:40] for planes to land evacuated the passengers
[00:07:44] from the airport runway. That calmness
[00:07:48] and professionalism of the Saudi staff was truly remarkable.
[00:07:51] This is something we have noticed throughout the city.
[00:07:55] It is easy to say that life goes on,
[00:07:58] but life here is not normal,
[00:08:02] and we are in a very critical period.
[00:08:05] But the resilience shown by the people is truly
[00:08:09] remarkable and commendable. People from different countries
[00:08:13] were killed in this attack. The latest of them,
[00:08:16] who perhaps passed away an hour ago,
[00:08:20] was an Indian national. And an American national
[00:08:24] was also killed. Is it possible that this
[00:08:26] will eventually lead the US to engage in the war
[00:08:30] with Yemen and actively intervene
[00:08:34] in support of Saudi Arabia? You referred to
[00:08:38] those two foreign nationals. For example,
[00:08:41] the Indian national. I read a report that he and his family
[00:08:45] were on their way
[00:08:55] to Medina; they were pilgrims.
[00:08:59] So one of these victims was a pilgrim.
[00:09:02] But regarding the American who was killed,
[00:09:05] this is the question: what will the Americans
[00:09:09] do? But it's more about what the US
[00:09:12] will do defensively and security-wise,
[00:09:15] because Americans are involved anyway.
[00:09:19] But the main question that needs to be asked
[00:09:23] is the other way around. We should ask what Saudi Arabia
[00:09:26] is doing. Saudi Arabia has tremendous capabilities.
[00:09:29] Early last week, Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led
[00:09:33] coalition, under the command of General Maliki,
[00:09:36] reminded that Saudi Arabia has more than 100
[00:09:40] fighter jets on mission in the region.
[00:09:44] So I'm not sure in answer to your question
[00:09:48] if the Americans can deploy more military forces
[00:09:51] into the region, but I don't know what their goal
[00:09:55] would be if they wanted to do that. But anyway, the goal here
[00:09:59] is that any military conflict
[00:10:02] and intervention should aim
[00:10:06] to create a basis for political
[00:10:09] negotiation and agreement.
[00:10:13] To reach an agreement or return to
[00:10:16] the state that existed before the war.
[00:10:19] We will get to negotiations, of course. But before that,
[00:10:23] I wanted to ask this as well:
[00:10:27] Saudi Arabia's efforts have so far
[00:10:30] not yielded results. For example,
[00:10:34] Dammam Airport was targeted an hour ago.
[00:10:37] Many flights to Dammam Airport have been suspended.
[00:10:41] They may resume, of course. But can Saudi Arabia's
[00:10:45] other allies, besides the US,
[00:10:48] for example, the Europeans, help it?
[00:10:51] There is a meeting in Riyadh in the coming weeks
[00:10:56] between the European Union and the member states
[00:10:59] of the Gulf Cooperation Council, where the regional situation,
[00:11:02] the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and Middle East
[00:11:05] security issues will be discussed.
[00:11:09] Well, I think regarding the attacks
[00:11:11] you mentioned,
[00:11:16] given that it is a regional war, no country
[00:11:20] will be immune from the consequences of these attacks.
[00:11:23] We have seen in the past that countries like the United Arab Emirates,
[00:11:27] Bahrain, and Qatar
[00:11:31] have also been targeted. So no country will be immune.
[00:11:34] However, despite this issue,
[00:11:38] the efforts of the Saudi air forces,
[00:11:42] as well as the ground forces, have, to be honest,
[00:11:45] been truly commendable. Yes, perhaps
[00:11:49] weapons with Saudi Arabia's allies will discuss the issue,
[00:11:52] and ultimately, it comes back to the partnerships
[00:12:07] Saudi Arabia has with other countries. It's not just the US;
[00:12:10] there's Britain. Britain has also said
[00:12:13] it will help its strategic ally,
[00:12:17] Saudi Arabia. The efforts are generally
[00:12:20] from the Europeans to act as specific
[00:12:23] countries, and also as the European Union,
[00:12:26] to examine where they can get involved.
[00:12:30] What is important for the Europeans is that when they come
[00:12:33] to Saudi Arabia in the near future,
[00:12:36] they enter the country as a partner.
[00:12:40] Saudi Arabia is not a country that simply wants to follow
[00:12:43] a path. And when it comes to
[00:12:47] trade and international transactions,
[00:12:51] they also need to see how they can be involved there.
[00:13:11] You alluded to negotiations. Two views are put forward
[00:13:14] regarding the Houthis: some say that the Houthis
[00:13:17] should be militarily weakened to the point
[00:13:21] where they cannot pose a threat,
[00:13:25] while others say that the issue should be resolved
[00:13:27] at the negotiating table. You are very familiar
[00:13:31] with the Middle East, and you are currently
[00:13:34] in Saudi Arabia. What do you think? Which
[00:13:38] of these solutions do you think might be effective?
[00:13:41] It is in such situations
[00:13:43] that I always like
[00:13:50] to recall the military theorists.
[00:13:53] A person named Clausewitz was the one who said
[00:13:56] that war is merely
[00:13:59] the continuation of politics by other means.
[00:14:03] Your question should be viewed
[00:14:06] differently. The issue is not
[00:14:09] that we have to choose between military
[00:14:13] and diplomatic options. They are all different options
[00:14:16] on a spectrum. I think in conflicts
[00:14:20] like this, the military
[00:14:23] and defensive aspects are very important,
[00:14:27] but their goal should be to create
[00:14:31] the conditions for negotiation and political agreement.
[00:14:34] Do you ultimately think that these issues can really
[00:14:37] be resolved without referring to the issue of Iran?
[00:14:41] It seems that after the US
[00:14:44] and Israeli attacks on Iran,
[00:14:48] the situation in the Middle East took a direction
[00:14:51] not seen in the past. to change the current situation
[00:15:25] and return to the state,
[00:15:28] to the era when the Houthis
[00:15:31] were on the sidelines. When conflicts
[00:15:35] were happening elsewhere, but the Houthis were on the sidelines anyway.
[00:15:38] This should be a priority for Saudi Arabia now.
[00:15:42] Saudi Arabia's focus should now be on
[00:15:46] continuing its 2030 development plan,
[00:15:49] its economic development plan,
[00:15:52] and somehow finding a way to return
[00:15:55] to the pre-war situation. Now, apart from
[00:15:58] the conflicts that exist in the region,
[00:16:02] it is very important that we keep these conflicts
[00:16:05] as separate as possible, even though they are interconnected
[00:16:09] anyway. Despite the fact that Iran also supports the Houthis,
[00:16:13] each issue should be resolved separately.
[00:16:17] Then we can see what the areas of common interest
[00:16:20] or common concerns between Saudi Arabia
[00:16:23] and the Houthis are, and resolve that.
[00:16:26] I think this is the best solution. Joe Walker-Cousins,
[00:16:30] former Head of the British Embassy Office in Benghazi
[00:16:34] and Senior Expert on Middle East Affairs. Thank you very much
[00:16:37] for joining us on the program. Yesterday's attacks
[00:16:40] on King Khalid Airport in Riyadh were the deadliest
[00:16:44] in Saudi Arabia in recent days. The number of those killed
[00:16:48] reached 12 or 13. According to Flightradar24 data,
[00:16:52] nearly 260 inbound and outbound flights
[00:16:55] to Riyadh were canceled yesterday following the attack.
[00:16:59] 219 other flights were delayed.
[00:17:02] Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is reported to have attacked
[00:17:06] various provinces in Yemen today.
[00:17:10] Gonche Habib Azad from our fact-checking section has taken a look
[00:17:12] at recent attacks. Clashes between Saudi Arabia
[00:17:16] and Ansar Allah of Yemen, known as the Houthis,
[00:17:19] are still ongoing. According to reports,
[00:17:23] at least three provinces in Yemen were targeted today:
[00:17:27] Saada, Taiz, and Sanaa. Yesterday's attack
[00:17:31] on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which we are now seeing
[00:17:34] images of, was apparently a continuation
[00:17:38] of attacks that targeted at least three other
[00:17:41] airports in Saudi Arabia in recent days.
[00:17:45] The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced on Wednesday
[00:17:49] that two people were killed and 28 injured
[00:17:52] in an attack on Abha International Airport in the south of the country,
[00:17:56] but did not specify the date of the attack. King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Airport
[00:17:59] and Najran Airport were also targeted on Monday,
[00:18:03] with no casualties reported. Yemen's Houthis
[00:18:06] had issued a statement warning against the use
[00:18:10] of Saudi Arabian airports. King Khalid Airport
[00:18:14] had been attacked at least twice before
[00:18:17] in recent days, killing three people. The first attack on Thursday,
[00:18:21] October 16th, targeted the airport, while the second attack
[00:18:24] hit an empty plane belonging to the state-owned airline Saudia.
[00:18:27] At that time, the Houthis announced that they had targeted
[00:18:31] King Khalid Airport with cruise missiles. The Saba news agency,
[00:18:34] affiliated with the Houthis, had warned that Saudi Arabian
[00:18:38] airspace would become a scene of operations for their armed forces.
[00:18:42] That was Gonche Habib Azad from our fact-checking section.
[00:18:45] Hossein Bakhtiari, media activist and political analyst
[00:18:49] close to Yemen's Houthis, from Sana'a. Mr. Bakhtiari,
[00:18:52] this airport was a civilian airport. Now, most of those
[00:18:56] killed, according to the information we have, were also civilians.
[00:18:59] Why are the Houthis attacking
[00:19:02] civilian facilities?
[00:19:05] I must point out
[00:19:11] that there was a slight delay. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[00:19:15] In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Yemeni armed forces
[00:19:18] had warned five days ago
[00:19:21] that they would launch attacks against Saudi airports.
[00:19:24] They had also warned all airlines
[00:19:27] not to use Saudi airspace. They had told airlines
[00:19:31] inside and outside Saudi Arabia not to use Saudi airports.
[00:19:34] Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has imposed
[00:19:37] an aerial blockade on Yemen. They destroyed all Yemeni airports.
[00:19:41] They targeted many of our funeral
[00:19:44] processions. Our factories, our bridges.
[00:19:48] That's why the Houthis were forced to take
[00:19:52] this action. An eye for an eye.
[00:19:55] They destroyed us. We warned them that if
[00:19:59] they continued these attacks, we would also attack
[00:20:02] their oil facilities in Aramco.
[00:20:04] But Saudi Arabia did not heed these warnings
[00:20:14] and continued its attacks. Over the past two months,
[00:20:18] 97 Yemeni civilians have been killed, including women
[00:20:22] and children, and 180 have been injured.
[00:20:25] This happened only in the past two months.
[00:20:29] The number of civilian victims of Saudi airstrikes
[00:20:33] has been much higher. This is the first time
[00:20:35] that in a war,
[00:20:38] a country like Yemen has issued a warning
[00:20:42] in advance. They, Saudi Arabia,
[00:20:45] targeted all our airports. They killed 20,000
[00:20:48] Yemeni civilians
[00:21:50] through airstrikes. They blockaded Yemen by sea.
[00:21:53] We are now suffering from malnutrition here.
[00:21:57] We have thousands of different diseases. We don't have clean water.
[00:22:01] More than 400,000 civilians have been killed.
[00:22:05] These are according to UN estimates.
[00:22:08] Because of Saudi Arabia's actions. We warned them
[00:22:12] that we would besiege them. We warned them that
[00:22:16] we would not allow any flights to enter
[00:22:20] Saudi airports. Who is responsible
[00:22:23] for this situation? Saudi Arabia itself.
[00:22:27] They cannot protect their civilians
[00:22:30] at their own airport. They should not enter
[00:22:34] into war with Yemen. When you compare
[00:22:38] this to Israel, we are saying that there is
[00:22:41] a very simple solution here now. The solution is that Saudi Arabia
[00:22:45] should not attack Yemen, and Yemen will not attack Saudi Arabia.
[00:22:49] But when you compare
[00:22:54] it, the ceasefire was established between
[00:23:09] you and Saudi Arabia, and... they started attacking Saudi Arabia.
[00:23:13] No, Saudi Arabia violated the ceasefire. They themselves
[00:23:17] said that they violated the ceasefire. They themselves
[00:23:23] said that our forces... We know that it was Saudi Arabia
[00:23:26] that targeted our airport. We signed a ceasefire
[00:23:30] in 2020. But since then, Saudi Arabia
[00:23:34] has carried out several attacks against Sanaa Airport.
[00:23:37] It is clear that they deny it. It is clear that they deny
[00:23:41] breaking the ceasefire and blame
[00:23:44] the Yemeni government, which they themselves support.
[00:23:47] We know that the Yemeni government... But suppose their claim is true
[00:23:57] and the Yemeni government violated the ceasefire.
[00:24:00] But between whom was the ceasefire signed?
[00:24:03] It was signed between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and the forces
[00:24:07] supported by Saudi Arabia. Therefore, whoever violates
[00:24:11] the ceasefire is responsible.
[00:24:14] Regarding the ceasefire and the war, it was Saudi Arabia
[00:24:18] that destroyed all of Yemen. The solution is very simple:
[00:24:22] don't attack Yemen, and Yemen won't attack you.
[00:24:26] Otherwise, Yemen can destroy all of Saudi Arabia's oil facilities
[00:24:29] and target all its airports, except for the airports
[00:24:33] in Mecca and Medina, which are holy cities.
[00:24:37] You mentioned Mecca and Medina. Today, the images
[00:24:40] coming from Riyadh, the images coming from Saudi
[00:24:44] airports, many of those injured were pilgrims to Mecca.
[00:24:47] These were people in Ihram. Mr. Bakhtiari,
[00:24:50] are you not concerned that despite being a religious
[00:24:54] movement, you are harming pilgrims to Mecca?
[00:24:57] Look,
[00:24:59] why
[00:25:08] is the international community and various media outlets,
[00:25:11] including BBC Persian, so concerned about civilians
[00:25:14] in Saudi Arabia, while hundreds of thousands
[00:25:18] of Yemeni civilians have been killed or injured
[00:25:21] or died of hunger? This was Saudi Arabia's
[00:25:25] doing. Saudi Arabia was responsible for killing
[00:25:29] civilians. If civilians are killed at those airports,
[00:25:33] it's Saudi Arabia's fault. Regarding the pilgrims
[00:25:36] you are asking about, why is Saudi Arabia
[00:25:39] bringing these pilgrims to its airports
[00:25:43] when we have warned them? We said that we would not
[00:25:46] target the airports in Mecca. Why don't the pilgrims
[00:25:50] go through the airports of Mecca and Medina?
[00:25:53] But when you are bombing our country, destroying
[00:25:57] all our infrastructure, attacking our airports,
[00:26:01] besieging us, and we are resisting,
[00:26:05] and we have already warned you, then you are worried
[00:26:07] about pilgrims? I think Saudi Arabia
[00:26:11] is actually happy for civilians to be killed
[00:26:14] at its airport so that they can later
[00:26:18] use it as an excuse and say, "Look, our civilians
[00:26:21] have been killed." None of this has any
[00:26:25] economic cost for Saudi Arabia. The solution is for Saudi Arabia
[00:26:29] not to attack Yemen and not to interfere in Yemen's affairs.
[00:26:32] Then Yemen will have no business with them.
[00:26:36] Mr. Bakhtiari, well, Saudi Arabia says,
[00:26:39] critics of the Houthis say that there is a legitimate
[00:26:42] government in Yemen, a recognized government,
[00:26:46] and it is the Houthis who have overthrown
[00:26:50] that government by force of arms. Therefore,
[00:26:54] it is the Houthis who are the cause of the crisis.
[00:26:57] Ultimately, it will be the people
[00:27:32] of Yemen themselves who will come together
[00:27:36] and find a solution for their future.
[00:27:39] But the discussion about the legitimacy of the Yemeni government
[00:27:43] from 2015... They installed
[00:27:45] this government here. But those who are truly fighting in Yemen
[00:27:49] and running Yemen's affairs are this popular
[00:27:53] and legitimate government in Sanaa.
[00:27:57] Saudi Arabia and this government
[00:28:00] that is now
[00:28:11] Saudi Arabia's puppet in Yemen since 2015,
[00:28:14] ask whoever you want where Hadi
[00:28:17] is, that so-called president of this government.
[00:28:20] He is sitting in Riyadh and was under house arrest
[00:28:24] until his death. A few months ago,
[00:28:27] he was forced to resign and hand over his power
[00:28:30] to a new puppet in Saudi Arabia.
[00:28:34] That is why, in our opinion, such a government has no legitimacy.
[00:28:38] That is why no international body,
[00:28:41] including the UN Security Council, has supported
[00:28:45] such a government or Saudi Arabia's actions
[00:28:48] and attacks on Yemen.
[00:28:51] That's why these talks
[00:28:54] about the legitimacy of the Yemeni government...
[00:28:58] What about the legitimacy of other governments,
[00:29:01] Syria and so on? All the countries that are now
[00:29:04] concerned about the legitimacy
[00:29:08] of the Yemeni government are ignoring many
[00:29:11] other illegitimate governments, like the government...
[00:29:14] Unfortunately, our time is up. Thank you very much,
[00:29:18] Hossein Bakhtiari, media activist and analyst.
[00:29:22] The US Treasury Secretary described Iran's economic
[00:29:25] isolation campaign as successful. Scott Bessent, in an interview
[00:29:28] with Fox News, said that the blockade and sanctions
[00:29:32] have hit Iran so hard
[00:29:37] that its oil exports have reached zero, and regime affiliates
[00:29:41] no longer have access to their foreign currency reserves.
[00:29:44] At the same time, Michael Walls, the US Ambassador to the UN,
[00:29:48] also said that in the war with Iran, time is on the side of
[00:29:52] Donald Trump's administration. In contrast, Chris Murphy,
[00:29:55] a Democratic US Senator who recently visited the Middle East,
[00:29:59] says Iran's attacks have been so severe
[00:30:02] that US bases in Bahrain and Qatar
[00:30:06] are no longer usable.
[00:30:09] Khashayar Jenaidi, our correspondent from our studio in Washington,
[00:30:12] is with the program. Khashayar, tell us more
[00:30:16] about Mr. Trump's and US officials' statements.
[00:30:20] We are now in the election campaign period.
[00:30:22] In recent days, Mr. Trump has visited various states
[00:30:26] and given election speeches, and his message in these speeches
[00:30:30] is usually the same: that the US has the upper hand
[00:30:33] and will soon deal with Iran, the war will end, and the US will win.
[00:30:37] Yesterday and last night, he also gave a speech,
[00:30:41] talking about facing a "crazy country,"
[00:30:45] referring to the Iranian government, of course,
[00:30:48] and that they don't realize how quickly I have dealt with them so far.
[00:30:52] ش به حکومت ایران بود البته و
[00:30:55] اینکه خیلی زود گفت متوجه نیستن که من تا حالا.