Saudi Arabia and UAE Accused of Spreading Anti-Iran Narratives

Saudi Arabia and UAE Accused of Spreading Anti-Iran Narratives Amid U.S. and Israeli War Preparations

Shiite News: The article accuses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of conducting what it describes as an extensive propaganda campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran, alleging that numerous narratives are being promoted to portray Iran negatively and distort historical developments.

According to the article, the alleged campaign is intended to prepare the ground for possible Saudi and Emirati involvement in a potential U.S. and Israeli military confrontation with Iran following the November U.S. elections. Recent reports have documented continued tensions between Washington and Tehran, including U.S. warnings regarding possible military action and references to developments after the November midterm elections.

The article argues that such claims should be examined against the historical record. One claim it disputes is that Iran supported the United States during the 2003 invasion of Iraq or that Iranian forces participated alongside U.S. forces in the invasion.

Historical accounts indicate that Iran did not participate as a U.S. ally in the invasion. At the same time, Iran pursued a complex policy toward post-invasion Iraq, including support for Iraqi political factions and armed groups. The U.S.-led invasion began in March 2003, while Iranian support for groups that opposed U.S. forces expanded during the subsequent occupation.

The article further recalls the Iran-Iraq War of 1980–1988 and argues that Iran had strong reasons to view Saddam Hussein’s regime as a longstanding adversary. Historical sources confirm that the United States provided varying forms of support to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, including economic assistance, intelligence and dual-use technology.

According to the article, Iran initially remained outside the U.S.-led invasion itself but later regarded the presence of U.S. forces in neighboring Iraq as a major national-security concern. It says Iran subsequently supported armed groups opposing the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Independent historical accounts likewise document substantial Iranian support for Iraqi militias and insurgent groups during the 2003–2011 U.S. occupation, including weapons, training and financing. Analysts differ over the extent and strategic significance of Iran’s role, but Iranian involvement in Iraq during this period is well documented.

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The article concludes by presenting Iran’s post-2003 policy in Iraq as an effort to prevent further U.S. military expansion in the region. It links this strategy to the eventual withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq in 2011, although the causes and circumstances of that withdrawal involved multiple political, military and diplomatic factors.