In a recent interview, Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs Adel al-Jubeir has said all options, including a military response, are open after attacks on two oil facilities, which it has blamed on Iran.
A US assessment claiming Iran was behind the attacks on the Saudi oil facilities was backed up by France, the UK, and Germany this week.
However, Iran has denied any involvement.
The Iran-aligned rebel Houthi movement in Yemen, which is fighting a Saudi-led coalition in the country’s civil war, has said it launched drones at the facilities.
Saudi officials say the range, scale and complexity of the attacks exceeded the capabilities of the Houthis.
Meanwhile, the US re-imposed economic sanctions against Iran last year after abandoning a 2015 nuclear deal, and in May said it would attempt to force all countries to stop buying Iranian oil and put pressure on Iran to negotiate a new nuclear accord.
On September 25, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at the UN that the US wanted “a peaceful resolution with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
He added: “In the end, it’ll be up to the Iranians to make that decision, or whether they’ll choose violence and hate.”
Saudi Arabia Oil Attacks: Foreign Affairs Minister Adel Al Jubeir Accuses Iran of Committing Attack on Humanity
French President Emmanuel Macron had attempted to broker an historic meeting between President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
However, President Rouhani told delegates at the UN that he refused to meet President Trump while Iran’s punishing economic sanctions were in place. He cast doubt on US intentions, referring to Mike Pompeo’s boast last year that it had imposed “the strongest sanctions in history” on Iran.
He said: “How can someone believe them when the silent killing of a great nation, and pressure on the lives of 83 million Iranians, especially women and children, are welcomed by American government officials?
“The Iranian nation will never, ever forget and forgive these crimes and these criminals.”
President Rouhani also dismissed the idea of a photo with President Trump, who has staged several photo opportunities with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – including one apparently spontaneous handshake in the Korean peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
