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20261012 213000 UTC
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[00:00:21] The sound of several mighty explosions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
[00:00:25] says it intercepted ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis in
[00:00:28] the capital's sky.
[00:00:32] We speak with an analyst of Saudi affairs and ask what options Saudi Arabia
[00:00:36] has in confronting the Houthis. Also
[00:00:39] on tonight's program. I can confirm that our assessment is
[00:00:43] that it is very likely that this action was coordinated in Iran and
[00:00:46] almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
[00:00:49] The Iranian ambassador to London was summoned over
[00:00:53] the security incident at Fairford Air Base. The British Prime Minister pledged
[00:00:57] to impose more sanctions against Tehran. We speak
[00:01:00] with a former senior advisor to the
[00:01:04] United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East.
[00:01:08] We ask him that if the issue of Iran's involvement
[00:01:12] is so serious, why are the suspects free? You told us
[00:01:16] to deduct from the ration cards for us? We said, "Sir, the ration card didn't give us money."
[00:01:19] A month has passed. We swiped cards for almost 4-5 billion,
[00:01:23] and they gave 50 million. We don't have any more money. We don't have capital
[00:01:26] to earn. The problem of the lower deciles. Iran is struggling
[00:01:30] to provide essential goods. Will an increase of 500,000
[00:01:34] tomans in ration card credit alleviate the people's suffering?
[00:01:37] And
[00:01:45] the continuation of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, despite
[00:01:48] the EU's alleged agreement, imposed stricter sanctions
[00:01:52] against Moscow's military industries.
[00:01:54] (sound of an explosion)
[00:02:06] 60 minutes live from the BBC in
[00:02:10] London. The war between Yemen's Houthis and the Saudis has escalated.
[00:02:13] Moments ago, news broke that explosions were heard in Riyadh,
[00:02:17] the capital of Saudi Arabia. Officials say they intercepted Houthi
[00:02:20] ballistic missiles. Residents of
[00:02:23] the city have been warned of a missile attack. The main
[00:02:27] airport in the capital is still closed, and King Fahd Airport
[00:02:31] in Dammam has also faced delays and disruptions.
[00:02:35] The Saudi energy minister said that these attacks cannot force
[00:02:38] his country, which is a symbol of energy security in the world,
[00:02:42] to surrender. The fighting and skirmishes between forces loyal to
[00:02:46] the legitimate Yemeni government, which is an ally of Saudi Arabia,
[00:02:49] and the Houthis have continued. Intense clashes have been reported in Taiz
[00:02:52] province in the south, along with a continuing fierce battle
[00:02:56] for control of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait.
[00:03:00] Global energy markets are watching the developments with concern.
[00:03:03] What options does Saudi Arabia have in confronting the Houthis? Are
[00:03:07] these conflicts part of a larger crisis in the region between Iran
[00:03:11] and America? We will talk more about this. First, a report from Baran
[00:03:14] Abbasi.
[00:03:17] New images of the moment a missile hit
[00:03:20] Riyadh International Airport on Saturday. The deadliest attack on Saudi soil
[00:03:24] in over a decade. An attack for which Yemen's Houthis, an Iran-backed
[00:03:28] military group,
[00:03:30] claimed responsibility. Yesterday
[00:03:33] afternoon, the second deadly attack in two days
[00:03:36] occurred at the same airport, and the Houthis pledged
[00:03:40] to expand these attacks.
[00:03:42] We warn all employees of oil facilities and
[00:03:45] airports in Saudi Arabia to stay away from these facilities,
[00:03:49] as these locations are legitimate targets for Yemen,
[00:03:52] especially as the situation is moving towards a comprehensive escalation of conflicts.
[00:03:56] Among the casualties of Saturday's incident
[00:04:00] was an American citizen. But will
[00:04:02] Washington intervene on behalf of its ally, Saudi Arabia,
[00:04:06] in this conflict? The answer
[00:04:09] so far has been no. The Saudis
[00:04:13] are capable fighters. They can defend themselves.
[00:04:16] But the attack was terrible.
[00:04:20] However, this has not prevented the Houthis' warning. If
[00:04:24] America participates in aggression against Yemen, we will not hesitate
[00:04:27] to decide. This is a response.
[00:05:00] It guarantees you. Your presence is important. The harder
[00:05:03] the situation becomes, the more important dialogue becomes.
[00:05:07] At the same time, the promise of responding to Houthi attacks and continuing the path that
[00:05:11] Saudi Arabia has taken.
[00:05:42] A city that has been besieged by this paramilitary group.
[00:05:45] In a continued effort by the Houthis to push back
[00:05:49] government forces and control more points in
[00:05:52] Yemen. The governor of Taiz says fuel and medicine
[00:05:56] are running out and warns of the possibility of a humanitarian
[00:05:59] catastrophe.
[00:06:00] The Yemeni government is also trying
[00:06:04] to expel the Houthis from the coastal cities of the Bab el-Mandeb
[00:06:08] Strait, which in recent weeks
[00:06:11] fell to this group.
[00:06:13] On the other hand, the Houthis' release
[00:06:17] of these images, they say, forced government forces
[00:06:20] to retreat.
[00:06:23] Iran, which financially and
[00:06:25] militarily supports the Houthis, has expressed concern over the escalation of conflict
[00:06:29] between this group and Saudi Arabia and declared its readiness
[00:06:33] to use
[00:06:36] its good offices
[00:06:40] to help facilitate dialogue between
[00:06:43] the parties. We believe that the continuation and
[00:06:46] escalation of tensions
[00:06:48] will only benefit
[00:06:50] the Zionist regime in the region.
[00:06:53] رژیم سهیونیستی در منطقه خواهد
[00:06:55] From Saudi Arabia's perspective, however, these
[00:06:58] scenes at Riyadh airport are a sign of the realization
[00:07:01] of the same threat that Iran had previously posed:
[00:07:04] that its response to US military action
[00:07:08] would be to destabilize the entire region and raise the cost
[00:07:11] of war for Washington's allies. Baran
[00:07:15] Abbasi,
[00:07:18] BBC. Robert Harward, former US Marine and former
[00:07:22] Deputy Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM),
[00:07:25] is joining us from Warsaw, Poland. Mr. Harward, welcome
[00:07:29] to the program. You know the region well.
[00:07:32] What options do you think Saudi Arabia has
[00:07:35] in confronting the Houthis?
[00:07:37] ها.
[00:07:42] I think they will resist strongly,
[00:07:45] but they will also form a coalition. They will ask Turkey
[00:07:49] and Pakistan for help because of
[00:07:53] the Mecca Pact they signed with them. They will try to form
[00:07:57] a coalition and solve the problem. Many compare the Houthis
[00:08:01] organizationally to the Taliban.
[00:08:04] If you remember, in Afghanistan, all of
[00:08:08] NATO was against the Taliban, but in the end,
[00:08:11] نهایت
[00:08:42] will defend itself. Do you mean that
[00:08:45] they probably
[00:08:48] don't see negotiation as
[00:08:51] a solution?
[00:08:58] No, I don't know. I can't speak for the Saudi Arabian government,
[00:09:02] but I know that they have a very large army,
[00:09:05] and they have a series of
[00:09:08] treaties and agreements to defend their country.
[00:09:11] I don't want to assume
[00:09:15] what Saudi Arabia will do or what its goal will
[00:09:19] be, but I can tell you that if they don't
[00:09:22] solve this threat now, this issue will become
[00:09:26] a problem for them later. You mentioned Saudi Arabia's
[00:09:29] strong army. Annually, Saudi Arabia buys billions
[00:09:32] of dollars worth of weapons. It buys the most advanced weapons
[00:09:36] from America.
[00:09:39] It also spends a lot of money on equipping them.
[00:10:12] If it targets, then this issue changes. Don't forget,
[00:10:16] Saudi Arabia was targeted by Iran
[00:10:19] 10 years ago. Iran attacked their infrastructure.
[00:10:23] In any case, Iran has also supported the Houthis,
[00:10:27] and this is a very important point and a very important feature
[00:10:31] of the conflict. Saudi Arabia must
[00:10:34] devise a plan to resolve this issue, and
[00:10:37] I'm sure it's thinking about it now. You mentioned Iran.
[00:10:41] Do you think the Houthi problem can be solved without
[00:10:44] solving the bigger problem between Iran and America
[00:10:48] in the region?
[00:10:49] بشه.
[00:10:56] I think both issues are intertwined.
[00:10:59] One aspect of this issue
[00:11:02] has heavily involved the Saudis, and I think
[00:11:06] Saudi Arabia can ultimately solve the Saudi problem,
[00:11:10] although we haven't solved Iran's problem yet.
[00:11:13] But if you solve Iran's problem first,
[00:11:17] then all the support that the Houthis receive
[00:11:21] will eventually end. But I think now,
[00:11:25] even without solving Iran's problem, you can solve the Houthi problem. But if
[00:11:28] you can solve Iran's problem, then the Houthis
[00:11:32] will have a big problem because then they will no longer
[00:11:36] have Iran's support. And in
[00:11:39] the end, do you think
[00:11:41] that
[00:11:43] the damage that the energy market has suffered,
[00:11:47] global security has suffered,
[00:11:50] is repairable in the short term, because right
[00:11:53] now everyone is looking at the Bab el-Mandeb strait
[00:11:57] with concern, while we know that the Strait of Hormuz is also
[00:12:01] severely problematic?
[00:12:03] مشکله
[00:12:08] Yes, of course the problem
[00:12:11] can be solved. Look, the problem,
[00:12:14] in my opinion, is that for decades
[00:12:17] Iran has been building these capabilities,
[00:12:20] including the Houthis.
[00:12:24] But. If the problem we
[00:12:28] are facing today were to continue for
[00:12:31] another two or three years, it would be unsolvable.
[00:12:35] In any case, this is not a war anyone wants,
[00:12:39] but it is a war we must have
[00:12:42] to eventually eliminate this threat. A threat that exists against
[00:12:46] shipping and global trade, both in the Strait of Hormuz
[00:12:49] and in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In the final
[00:12:52] analysis, these two issues must be solved
[00:12:56] for global security and peace. Thank you very much, Mr. Harward. Robert Harward,
[00:13:00] former US Marine and former Deputy Commander of
[00:13:04] US Central Command (CENTCOM), from Warsaw, Poland.
[00:13:06] Jafar Hashemi,
[00:13:09] researcher on Middle East and Arab world issues, is also
[00:13:13] with us from London. Mr. Hashemi, our previous guest explained
[00:13:17] that Iran is also connected to these
[00:13:20] events. Now we heard about the situation in Riyadh.
[00:13:23] It seems missiles were fired at the sky of Riyadh.
[00:13:27] It is said that these were intercepted, but we are still
[00:13:30] at the very beginning of this. In your opinion,
[00:13:33] can the Houthi
[00:13:36] and Saudi problem be solved without
[00:13:40] solving the problem with Iran?
[00:13:46] it might be possible. Consider that
[00:13:50] the current discussion about Gaza
[00:13:53] ultimately means we cannot
[00:14:25] and to increase Iran's bargaining power
[00:14:28] with the United States of America
[00:14:32] through exerting pressure
[00:14:35] on energy issues and the energy market, and ultimately on regional
[00:14:39] countries and even the United States of America. However,
[00:14:42] a large part of it also depends
[00:14:45] on Yemen itself. We are now witnessing
[00:14:48] that even the attacks on energy centers in
[00:14:52] Saudi Arabia were perhaps partly carried out by Iraqi forces,
[00:14:56] not Houthi forces. The focus
[00:14:59] is now more on the airport. This might be
[00:15:03] a message, for example, that they are trying
[00:15:06] to convince Saudi Arabia to somehow resolve
[00:15:10] the issue of the
[00:15:13] aerial blockade and the blockade of Sana'a
[00:15:16] airports. Part of this conflict
[00:15:20] stems from the dilemmas and problems
[00:15:23] within Yemen, and part of it
[00:15:27] is linked to Iran. We cannot completely separate these
[00:15:31] in the current situation, but it seems that Saudi Arabia
[00:15:35] with the ruler.
[00:16:07] I was reading an analysis by a Saudi journalist who is very
[00:16:11] close to the government. He said that the issue is no longer just
[00:16:14] Saudi Arabia; it is energy security, political
[00:16:17] stability, economic stability of the region. There are huge
[00:16:21] investments made in the Gulf countries.
[00:16:25] But as soon as Iran was put under pressure regarding fuel,
[00:16:29] the east-west pipeline of Saudi Arabia was targeted.
[00:16:31] The Houthis claimed
[00:16:35] they hit the Yanbu facilities. And then, as soon as
[00:16:38] Iran's air blockade was imposed or attempted,
[00:16:42] now the sky of Saudi Arabia has become insecure.
[00:16:44] Don't you think these things cannot be
[00:16:48] coincidental and
[00:16:51] are perhaps more connected, these events,
[00:16:54] in comparison to your assessment?
[00:16:57] They are definitely connected,
[00:17:01] and in fact, very much so. I remind you that
[00:17:05] Mr. Qaani in Baghdad
[00:17:08] this past June said that the new
[00:17:12] regional strategy, the "new belt" as it is called,
[00:17:15] from the Strait of Hormuz to Bab el-Mandeb.
[00:17:19] brought this up,
[00:17:22] after a while, we witnessed these attacks. Ultimately, these
[00:17:26] are connected, and my
[00:17:29] point was that some of these Houthi actions
[00:17:32] are definitely in line with supporting Iran,
[00:17:36] especially in the area of energy. But even when they
[00:17:40] took control of Bab el-Mandeb,
[00:17:43] they didn't try to close Bab el-Mandeb to put more pressure
[00:17:46] on the energy market. They
[00:17:49] only said that Saudi ships cannot
[00:17:53] pass through Bab el-Mandeb, and this
[00:17:56] indicates that the Houthis' problem
[00:17:59] is more of a local problem. We don't really know
[00:18:03] what they will do in the future. However, I completely
[00:18:06] agree with you. Now the Houthis, with these
[00:18:10] actions, have entered a new challenge
[00:18:14] far beyond Yemen itself, and even the region and the world.
[00:18:17] We have another coalition that Saudi Arabia has formed.
[00:18:21] Several countries may be part of this
[00:18:24] naval coalition. In this regard, this is regardless
[00:18:27] of the Mecca coalition between Turkey
[00:18:31] and Pakistan. However, please note,
[00:18:34] the solution is always an exit.
[00:18:37] In Yemen, a political exit is what modern Yemeni history
[00:18:41] shows. None of these wars in
[00:18:44] Yemen have ever resolved the problems of the belligerents
[00:18:48] in Yemen, and everyone accepts this reality, whether Iran or the United
[00:18:52] States of America, and most of all, I think even
[00:18:55] the Saudis believe this. But
[00:18:59] they are interested in militarily weakening the Houthis
[00:19:03] to the extent that the Houthis accept their position
[00:19:06] and their social and political capacity
[00:19:09] as part of Yemeni civil society.
[00:19:13] Excuse me, it is acceptable,
[00:19:16] not beyond that, and not what the Houthis claim,
[00:19:20] because you know the sovereignty they have
[00:19:24] is based on an ideology
[00:19:28] almost similar to the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist
[00:19:31] in Iran, and they deny that others
[00:19:34] should participate in this rule. Hashemi.
[00:20:02] These new actions taken by Saudi Arabia
[00:20:06] and the official government of Yemen were mostly
[00:20:08] after that New York meeting,
[00:20:12] and such a decision was made. At the beginning of these military actions,
[00:20:15] we saw Donald Trump seemingly trying to distance
[00:20:19] himself from these currents, saying that
[00:20:22] Bab el-Mandeb is open, and nothing
[00:20:25] actually threatens the energy market or the United States.
[00:20:29] However, after the New York meeting with the leaders of
[00:20:32] these regional countries, it seems a new strategy
[00:20:35] has been adopted to initiate
[00:20:39] an international coalition
[00:20:41] against the Houthis.
[00:20:45] This will definitely be detrimental to Iran,
[00:20:47] and now
[00:20:50] Iran has placed them in a position where it cannot defend
[00:20:53] them in these circumstances, it cannot support
[00:20:56] them financially, and in this situation,
[00:21:00] we see Iran trying to raise this issue
[00:21:04] and declares its readiness to
[00:21:07] act as a mediator. I think Pakistan,
[00:21:11] in this regard, we have heard from Pakistani
[00:21:14] officials that they are also interested in a
[00:21:18] political solution. Turkey's Foreign Minister,
[00:21:22] when he made these statements in Saudi Arabia, I think
[00:21:25] the solution is a political solution, and even Saudi
[00:21:29] Arabia also supports this solution. Jafar Hashemi,
[00:21:39] the summoning of the Iranian ambassador to London. Referring to
[00:21:42] the security incident near Fairford Air Base, he said
[00:21:46] he would make it clear to the Iranian ambassador that Britain would not tolerate any.
[00:22:04] Our assessment is that it is very likely that this action was coordinated in Iran
[00:22:07] and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
[00:22:11] We will not tolerate these threats
[00:22:14] on our own soil. We will confront Iran's
[00:22:18] use of criminal gangs and target this network and its financial
[00:22:22] resources with all the powers we have.
[00:22:25] We will also impose more sanctions to limit the ability of Iran's
[00:22:29] Revolutionary Guard Corps to harm
[00:22:30] us. Andy Burnham was the British
[00:22:34] Prime Minister. Major General Chip Chapman, retired
[00:22:38] British Army officer and former senior military advisor
[00:22:42] to Britain at the United States Central Command (CENTCOM),
[00:22:45] is with us from Salisbury.
[00:22:49] Mr. The British government says the
[00:22:53] issue is serious, but at the same time, the individuals
[00:22:56] who were suspected are still free,
[00:23:00] albeit on bail. How do these two things reconcile?
[00:23:03] گیره؟
[00:23:10] When the Prime Minister spoke today
[00:23:14] about probabilities,
[00:23:17] he spoke about various things in different
[00:23:21] parts of his speech. At one point he said
[00:23:24] that it is highly probable
[00:23:28] that the Revolutionary Guard Corps
[00:23:31] was involved in this operation. This means that, in our language,
[00:23:35] we say 80-90 percent.
[00:23:39] And elsewhere he also said
[00:23:41] that we are almost certain that it was
[00:23:44] 90 to 95 percent probable that Tehran had a role.
[00:23:48] And it seems that in this
[00:23:50] regard,
[00:23:53] the intelligence operation that was happening,
[00:23:56] میفته
[00:24:00] for example, in May 2025, they had arrested
[00:24:03] a number of people. In my opinion,
[00:24:07] there was a big difference between those
[00:24:11] arrests and these. Even at that time,
[00:24:14] the operation was an operation related to intelligence
[00:24:18] and security, not based on. not based on evidence.
[00:24:22] They were forced to release them,
[00:24:25] and at that time, for example, the fifth person they
[00:24:28] arrested, the evidence was different, and they were forced to keep
[00:24:32] him. And this issue
[00:24:36] this
[00:24:38] issue has also been applied
[00:24:42] to the arrest of these five people at Fairford base.
[00:24:46] But because the evidence and
[00:25:20] was used, and then he said that this base was one of
[00:25:24] its targets in the past. What do the
[00:25:27] rules of war say in this regard?
[00:25:39] Well, from the Iranian government's perspective,
[00:25:42] they look at military formations
[00:25:46] and the extent of the
[00:25:49] war. They know, for example, the bases that are used,
[00:25:53] therefore they also consider American bases in Europe
[00:25:56] as legitimate targets
[00:25:59] and think that there is no problem
[00:26:03] attacking them,
[00:26:06] and it is reasonable. But they do not use
[00:26:09] their own forces and territory and the forces of the Revolutionary
[00:26:13] Guard Corps, but rather use the same pawns against
[00:26:17] opponents of the Iranian
[00:26:20] regime in the West,
[00:26:23] or for example, Jewish targets against
[00:26:27] unknown individuals and proxy
[00:26:30] forces. They pay money
[00:26:34] and hire them to attack
[00:26:37] both foreign enemies and their own
[00:26:40] enemies, to target
[00:26:44] them so that they can deny
[00:26:48] it, and all
[00:26:50] foreign
[00:26:54] enemies, in fact, behave in this way through proxy
[00:26:58] forces.
[00:27:00] In such circumstances, the British government is truly effective.
[00:27:35] Such issues not being effective comes down to
[00:27:38] the security forces and their capabilities. And in my opinion, the security
[00:27:42] and domestic forces of Britain are very
[00:27:45] strong, and a large number of Iranian citizens
[00:27:49] here or citizens who were hired
[00:27:53] by Iran are now imprisoned. Most
[00:27:56] of these conspiracies, if we look at them, conspiracies
[00:27:59] that have been successful in Britain or
[00:28:03] in Europe were through individual
[00:28:07] actors
[00:28:10] and independent. And if
[00:28:13] there have been operations where they wanted
[00:28:17] to investigate and
[00:28:20] also intelligence operations they are carrying
[00:28:24] out, they have been identified, and
[00:28:26] 99%
[00:28:28] of that one-tenth percent of them have all been arrested
[00:28:31] and detained. Thank you,
[00:28:35] Mr. Chapman. Chip Chapman, retired
[00:28:38] British Army officer and former senior military advisor
[00:28:42] to Britain at CENTCOM from Salisbury.
[00:28:45] باما
[00:28:47] Iranian media report that due to disruptions in the "My Government"
[00:28:50] system, a 500,000 toman increase
[00:28:53] in ration card credit will be deposited for 40 million people in October
[00:28:57] without requiring registration. Registration is still
[00:29:01] ongoing, and applicants must register their information
[00:29:04] so that after review and final approval, the increased ration card
[00:29:08] credit will be allocated to them. Mary Mofassang reports that
[00:29:11] the increase in ration card credit will not alleviate
[00:29:14] the suffering of people who are under the crushing pressure
[00:29:18] of unprecedented inflation.
[00:29:20] Every day, rising prices shrink
[00:29:23] the tables of Iranian families. The government
[00:29:27] has turned ration cards into one of the few hopes for people
[00:29:31] to secure essential goods. This support, which now with
[00:29:34] a 500,000 toman increase in its credit, is once again
[00:29:38] in the spotlight. But the main question
[00:29:41] is: can this increase keep pace with the wave of rising
[00:29:45] prices? The National Planning and Budget
[00:29:49] Organization has announced the details for registering
[00:29:53] for increased ration card credit. Based on this, for 18 million
[00:29:56] and 300 thousand household heads, equivalent
[00:29:59] to about 40 million people, a message
[00:30:03] inviting self-declaration will be sent, and registration
[00:30:06] in the "My Government" system is only possible by the head
[00:30:10] of the household. For October, which will hopefully see an increase,
[00:30:14] it has not yet been finalized. I think it
[00:30:17] will be around 500,000 tomans, but it's not yet
[00:30:20] definite. However, reports indicate system disruptions,
[00:30:24] either the system doesn't open or the code doesn't
[00:30:27] arrive, or citizens are wandering about
[00:30:31] where to register their request.
[00:30:34] Some citizens also reported that after receiving
[00:30:38] a text message about eligibility for ration cards,
[00:30:41] when they followed up, a fee was charged from them,
[00:30:44] and in the end, they were told they were not eligible.
[00:30:47] The fact that this money was taken for what services
[00:30:51] is also among the criticisms. In fact, nothing can be done without resources.
[00:30:55] That is, we believe that without resources, meaning a unified hope.