Just for the record, the Saudi-Sino relations are very strong. With a trade volume of TENS of billions everything is possible. Thankfully, the " silent sealing " stamps are diplomatic-code of KSA's foreign policy. In other word, we manage to keep our mouth shut as much as we could, but this news seems to make a mountain out of a molehill. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is being looked by the political elites to be a political dispute i.e. KSA won't degrade itself to hunt innocent tourists in Bulgaria, or elsewhere. The issue with Iran is diametrically different, a cold war began ever since the Republic of Iran was born.
I also find it hard to believe KSA having a Ballistic Missiles as a strategic weapon, call it my ignorance but there was no such indication. I wonder what will be the origin of these missiles if its true?
they cant be Western and I doubt KSA has such close relations with the Russians or, China or North Koreans. leaves us with Pakistan but then there are very stringent missile control regimes.
to me it seems like scare mongering by the west and a ploy to "dig deeper" to protect Israel.
more pressing question is the origin of the missiles, most of us suspect them to be coming from Pakistan which are basically the rip offs of North Korean & Chinese 1950's era missiles, all of which can be shot down by Israeli anti Missile defence very easily
I don't think that Pakistan's missile technology goes back to the 50s, unless it's some sort of exaggeration?
Not to mention even the '50s era Chinese or North Korean Rip-Offs aren't exactly unguided & completely unsophisticated Palestinian Rockets being fired from Gaza !
You thought right. There is no such thing as a %100 interception guarantee. Not to mention the cost of the Iron Dome.
Well, there were three ballistic-missile bases in KSA back in the 80s - now doubled -
Anyway, Taif's, Madina's bases had missles being mobilized at Israel, I don't think any country would feel comfortable with such action. To this day, the US has been asking for inspecting these missile-bases, but KSA refused to allow them to go there.
And why would Israel attack KSA's Missile Arsenal ?
the submarines that KSA is not allowed to have for the sake of Uncle Sam's peaceful sleep
Israel never blocked an arm sale to KSA, but the US offers downgraded weapons, it happened few times, but it'd been dealt with (;
So Pakistani missiles are derivatives of old Chinese and North Korean missiles which can be shot down by Israeli anti-missile defenses.
In other words current Pakistani BM arsenal is obsolete and can be easily shot down?
I honestly don't think so. If Pakistan has crapoy missles, you couldn't see how much of a worry Pakistan raise through the eyes of its enemies.