US points finger at Iran after drone strikes at Saudi Arabia oil plant
THE US last night blamed Iran for the drone strikes on two Saudi Arabian oil installations including the world’s largest processing facility.
The attacks on the Abqaiq plant and Khurais oilfield were said to have cut the kingdom’s output in half.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, had claimed responsibility, with a spokesman saying: “The only option for the Saudi government is to stop attacking us.”
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen immediately responded with two airstrikes in the country’s northern Saada province, a Houthi stronghold.
But later yesterday, Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, said there was “no evidence” the attacks came from Yemen and instead directed the blame at Iran.
“Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply,” he tweeted.
Mr Pompeo added: “We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran’s attacks.”
It marks a further escalation in the years-long conflict seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran.
Online videos showed large fires and plumes of smoke at Abqaiq, which processes a significant share of the world’s oil supply. The kingdom later appeared to be playing down the impact, saying that the blazes had been brought under control, and maintaining official silence on the extent of the damage caused.
State television said exports were continuing, but sources said that the attacks had significantly disrupted operations in the world’s largest oil exporter.
One said they had shut down some five million barrels a day of crude production – almost half the kingdom’s output and roughly five per cent of that of the world.
It is unclear how long the shutdown will last, but anything but the briefest disruption could have a serious impact on global energy supplies and prices.
The attacks come as the state oil giant Saudi Aramco prepares for an initial public offering, designed to reduce the country’s economic reliance on oil.