Saudi FM warns Iran that patience in Gulf not ‘unlimited’ amid attacks
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister warns Iran that regional neighbours have ‘significant’ capabilities with which to respond to Tehran’s aggression. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has warned Iran that tolerance of its attacks on his country and those of neighbouring Gulf states is limited, calling on Tehran to immediately “recalculate” its strategy. Warning that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have “very significant capacities and capabilities” that could be drawn on should they “choose to do so”, the foreign minister told a news conference early on Thursday that Iran had carefully planned its strategy for striking regional neighbours, despite denials from Tehran’s diplomats. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The level of accuracy in some of this targeting – you can see it in our neighbours as well as the kingdom – indicates that this is something that was premeditated, preplanned, preorganised and well thought out,” Prince Faisal said. “I’m not going to lay out what would and would not precipitate a defensive action by the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] because I think that is not a wise approach to signal to the Iranians,” the foreign minister continued. “But I think it’s important for the Iranians to understand that the kingdom, but also its partners who have been attacked and beyond, have very significant capacities and capabilities that they could bring to bear should they choose to do so,” he said. “The patience that is being exhibited is not unlimited. Do they [the Iranians] have a day, two, a week? I’m not going to telegraph that,” he added. “I would hope they understand the message of the meeting today and recalculate quickly and stop attacking their neighbours. But I am doubtful they have that wisdom.” Advertisement Prince Faisal’s warning followed a meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in the Saudi capital earlier in the day to discuss the expanding war in the region, which on Wednesday saw Iranian attacks on Gulf energy sites, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas facility, where significant damage was reported, and the United Arab Emirates’ Habshan gas facility. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Iranian attack targeting Ras Laffan Industrial City”, located 80km (50 miles) northeast of the Qatari capital Doha, which is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility, producing some 20 percent of the world’s LNG supply. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had warned earlier that oil and gas facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE would face retaliation for an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield. Iranian state media reported that facilities linked to the country’s huge offshore South Pars field – located off the coast of southern Iran’s Bushehr province – had come under attack. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence also said on Wednesday that its air defences had intercepted four Iranian ballistic missiles that targeted Riyadh and two launched towards the country’s eastern region. Air defences in the UAE dealt with 13 ballistic missiles and 27 drones, according to the country’s Defence Ministry, while operations were suspended at the Habshan gas facility as authorities responded to incidents caused by fallen debris after the successful interception of a missile. The Saudi foreign minister also told the news conference on Thursday that while the war will end one day, it will take much longer to restore relations with Iran as trust “has completely been shattered” due to Tehran’s tactics of targeting its neighbours. “We know for a fact that Iran has been building this strategy over the last decade and beyond,” Prince Faisal said. “This is not something that is a reaction to an evolving circumstance where Iran is improvising. This has been built into their war planning: targeting their neighbours and using that to try and put pressure on the international community,” he said. “So when this war eventually ends, in order for there to be any rebuilding of trust, it will take a long time. And I have to tell you, if Iran doesn’t stop … immediately, I think there will be almost nothing that can re-establish that trust,” he added. Adblock test (Why?)
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The U.S. State Department on Wednesday expanded its list of countries whose citizens will be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. business or tourist visas. The department added 12 nations to the growing list — Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia. Starting April 2, passport holders from these countries must pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, which is refunded if the visa application is denied or, if granted, the traveler complies with the terms of the B1 or B2 visa. TRUMP ADMIN EXPANDS VISA BOND REQUIREMENT TO 38 COUNTRIES, WITH FEES UP TO $15K The cost of the bond depends on the applicant’s circumstances and is determined at the discretion of a consular officer during the visa interview. The requirement was first rolled out by the Trump administration last year, as part of an effort to crack down on visa overstays and illegal immigration, according to officials. TRUMP ADMIN HIT WITH FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER IMMIGRANT VISA BAN AFFECTING 75 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE With the latest additions, citizens from 50 countries will be subject to the bond requirement beginning April 2, although the policy has already been in effect for most of them. The majority of the countries are in Africa, which officials say have higher visa overstay rates, though the list also includes nations in Asia, Latin America and elsewhere. “The visa bond program has already proven effective at drastically reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and illegally remain in the United States,” the department said in a statement. Nearly 97% of the roughly 1,000 individuals who posted bonds complied with visa terms and did not overstay, according to the department. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent under FBI investigation for alleged classified leaks
The FBI is investigating former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent over allegations that he leaked classified information, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The probe predates Kent’s departure from government, sources told Fox News Digital. The FBI declined Fox News’ request for comment. Fox News Digital has reached out to Kent by phone and email for comment. TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN Kent resigned Tuesday from his role as the nation’s top counterterrorism official, citing opposition to the U.S. war against Iran. In a public statement, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war,” arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat and that the conflict marked a break from the administration’s prior approach to avoiding prolonged wars in the Middle East. A senior administration official previously told Fox News Digital that Kent was a “known leaker” who had been cut out of intelligence briefings months before his resignation. OUSTED HEGSETH AIDE RESURFACES IN INTEL ROLE AS IRAN WAR SPARKS INTERNAL STRAIN It is unclear whether the FBI investigation is related to those concerns or to a separate matter. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Kent, a former Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer, was appointed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center in early 2025. He is a Gold Star spouse. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and Morgan Phillips contributed to this reporting.