00:00Saudi Arabia says that it has intercepted drones launched by Iran-backed groups from
00:05Iraq targeting key oil facilities. How significant do you see that in the sense of escalation?
00:15Yeah, well, I think it is without doubt very much significant because I think it is targeting
00:23crucial infrastructure. And I think this infrastructure, needless to say, is really the
00:30lifeline of the Saudi economy. So there's no real surprise about that. What I think is very
00:36interesting is that while there is that targeting of these infrastructures, and this is something
00:44that the Saudis really wanted to avoid the war, this is why the Saudis wanted to avoid the war in
00:50the first place, and really the Gulf, the GCC states at large, is not just to protect their
00:56own security, but in particular to protect these kind of oil infrastructures. And so I think, for me,
01:04while there is a sentence by others to climb the ladder of escalation, there is a real forbearance
01:11and restraint by the Saudi ruling elite to not increase more or not throw more fuel into the
01:18fire. But again, I think what this also shows is that how, quite frankly, problematic the Iranian regime is.
01:28It's not only inconsiderate and targeting deliberately oil, critical oil, critical infrastructure and
01:37civilian architecture and infrastructure, but the real danger of this is that it complicates the scene.
01:44You know, it denies the fact that it really did this. It uses its proxy network. And not only does
01:52it just use it to deny it, sometimes they use it to obtain and take ownership of it for their
01:59own
01:59audiences. And this complicates the road and the picture, especially if one is to try to internationalize
02:07the danger of the situation. So I think, in my opinion, it is very critical. And there is just
02:15going to be more and more restraint from the Saudis to not elevate the situation. But the question is,
02:22tell how long? And I think what the Saudis have illustrated also, is that there is a willingness to
02:29protect its borders. And so the question is, you know, how long will this continue? And if the Saudis
02:38will retaliate? But in my opinion, I think the Saudis have made a clear decision that it is in their
02:45best
02:46interest to be restraintful, not at any cost, but be as rational and as pragmatic as possible.
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