Saudi Arabia says it will show evidence linking regional rival Tehran to an unprecedented attack on its oil industry that Washington believes originated from Iran in a dangerous escalation of Middle East frictions.
Tehran has denied involvement in the September 14 attacks on oil plants, including the world’s biggest crude processing facility, that initially knocked out half of Saudi Arabia’s production.
“We don’t want conflict in the region … Who started the conflict?” Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, blaming Washington and Riyadh for a war in Yemen.
Yemen’s Houthi group, an ally of Iran, has claimed responsibility and said they used drones to assault state oil company Aramco’s sites.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other US officials were headed to Saudi Arabia.
United Nations experts monitoring sanctions on Iran and Yemen also left for the kingdom, Saudi’s UN envoy said.
Concrete evidence showing Iranian responsible, if made public, could pressure Riyadh and Washington into a response, though US President Donald Trump said he does not want war.
The Saudi Defence Ministry said it will hold a news conference on Wednesday at 1430 GMT to present “material evidence and Iranian weapons proving the Iranian regime’s involvement in the terrorist attack”.
Riyadh has already said preliminary results showed the attack did not come from Yemen.
A US official told Reuters the strikes originated in southwestern Iran.
Three officials said they involved cruise missiles and drones, indicating a higher degree of complexity and sophistication than initially thought.
Some US allies, as well as those of Iran, have asked for proof behind accusations Tehran was responsible for the attack that cut 5 per cent of global production.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, on Tuesday said the 5.7 million barrels per day of output would be fully restored by the end of the month.
France is also to send experts in response to a request from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince.
The situation could harm French diplomacy meant to avert a feared US-Iranian conflict, diplomats told Reuters after Macron’s top envoy held talks in Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out talks with the United States unless it returns to the nuclear accord between Iran and the West that Washington quit last year.
Trump said on Monday there was “no rush” to retaliate and Washington was coordinating with Gulf Arab and European states.
Already frayed US-Iran ties deteriorated further when Trump quit the nuclear pact and reimposed sanctions, severely hurting the Iranian economy.
Washington and its Gulf Arab allies also want Iran to stop supporting regional proxies, including the Houthis who have been battling a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen for four years.
Despite years of air strikes against them, the Houthi movement boasts drones and missiles able to reach deep into Saudi Arabia, the result of an arms race since the Western-backed, Sunni Muslim coalition intervened in Yemen against the group in March 2015.
Iran’s clerical rulers support the Houthis, but Tehran denies it actively supports them with military and financial support.
In Wednesday’s video carried by Iran’s media, Rouhani said the oil attack was a “warning” by Yemenis.
Source » canberratimes