Latest attacks expose ‘vile and cowardly’ Iranian regime
The most effective way to control Tehran is to cut off its financial resources, Saudi FM tells UN General Assembly
Saudi Arabia on Thursday called for a concerted world effort to stop Iran’s aggression as it officially identified Iran as the culprit behind the Sept. 14 drone and missile attacks on the Kingdom’s oil facilities.
“The latest attacks and aggression have exposed the Iranian regime before the entire world; we are dealing with a rogue and terrorist system that continues to threaten international peace and security,” Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim AlAssaf told the UN General Assembly in New York.
The attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil installations in eastern Saudi Arabia jolted global oil prices and temporarily knocked out nearly 6 percent of daily global crude production.
“We know very well who stood behind this aggression,” said AlAssaf, who called the strikes a “flagrant violation of international laws and a threat to international peace and security.”
“We have known that regime for 40 years. It is good at nothing but masterminding explosions, destruction and assassinations, not only in our region but also throughout the world.”
He urged the world to apply “utmost pressure with every tool available,” saying that the most effective way to control Tehran was to cut off its financial resources.
“It is necessary for the international community to realize that cutting off sources of finance is the best way to compel the regime to renounce its militias, prevent it from developing ballistic missiles and put an end to its destabilizing activities in the region and the world,” he said.
Al-Assaf said that Iranian aggression also “jeopardizes energy supplies and the world economy, hence the recent attacks are a real test for the international community.”
Iran has denied responsibility for the attacks, pointing to a statement by Houthi militias in Yemen claiming responsibility for the attack. But Saudi Arabia insists Iranian weapons were used and has invited UN investigators to assess where the strikes were launched. The US, France, Britain and Germany also blame Iran, which has been under US sanctions since 2018.