Saudi Arabia Oil Attacks: Foreign Affairs Minister Adel Al Jubeir Accuses Iran of Committing Attack on Humanity
Saudi Arabia has announced it will respond with “necessary measures” to attacks on two oil facilities as it reiterated the accusation that Iran was behind them.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said the weapons used were Iranian and vowed to release the full findings of the investigation.
However, Iran denies involvement in the attacks.
Earlier, a senior Iranian military official said Iran was ready to destroy any aggressor after the US announced it was sending troops to Saudi Arabia.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have said they were responsible for the drone and missile strikes on September 14 that affected the global oil supply.
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since President Donald Trump abandoned a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear activities last year and reinstated sanctions.
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Adel al-Jubeir said Saudi Arabia was in consultation with its allies and would take necessary and suitable measures after its investigation was complete, without giving details of possible actions.
The Saudi minister repeated that the strikes targeting the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field had come from the north and not from Yemen but did not give a specific location, and urged the international community to take a stand.
He said: “The kingdom calls upon the international community to assume its responsibility in condemning those that stand behind this act, and to take a firm and clear position against this reckless behavior that threatens the global economy.”
The Saudi defense ministry showed off on September 18 what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement.
The US has also accused Iran of being behind the attacks, and unnamed senior officials have told US media that the evidence suggests the strikes originated in the south of Iran.
On September 20, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the US would send a yet-to-be-decided number of troops to Saudi Arabia to boost the country’s air and missile defenses.
President Donald Trump then announced new sanctions against Iran, focusing on the country’s central bank and its sovereign wealth fund, while signaling that he wanted to avoid military conflict.