Saudi oil crisis.. the
Tensions between Iran and the West have reached new heights following Saturday’s air attack on major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
The bombing of the Abqaiq oil processing plant, the world’s largest, and the Khurais oil field, knocked out 5% of the world’s oil supply, with oil prices rising 20%.
America immediately pointing the finger at Iran. But while the US analyses evidence at the site, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to Saudi Arabia “to discuss our response”, Iran has denied responsibility.
A senior commander with the country’s Revolutionary Guards, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, says the country is ready for “fully fledged” war, and has suggested American’s military bases stationed up to 1,243 miles around Iran are within reach of missiles.
Here, Middle East expert Dr Andreas Krieg, professor of Defence Studies at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, talks through what the incident means for the West.
customers for the UK’s arms industry and despite allegations of war crimes being committed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, the British government always seems to find a way to provide them with the arms they need.
This is obviously a way Britain to provide jobs in defence industry.
Q AThe Abqaiq plant, Saudi Arabia for the We can’t rule it out and there is nothing we or the Saudis can do to stop it. The Houthis attack on a daily basis.
Over the last couple of months there were more than 60 missile attacks into Saudi Arabia. Most were intercepted, but not all.
This could destabilise the whole region. For the West, with all our trade interests in that part of the world, there would be a fall out.