US officials inform Saudi Arabia that Iran source of oil facility attack

US officials inform Saudi Arabia that Iran source of oil facility attack
September 17, 2019, 7:38 am

A satellite image showing damage to oil gas Saudi Aramco infrastructure at Khurais, in Saudi Arabia in this handout picture released by the US Government September 15, 2019. (US Government DigitalGlobe Reuters)

American officials have informed Saudi Arabia that US intelligence indicates that Iran is the source of the attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

“Both countries weigh retaliatory strikes, according to people familiar with the discussions. The assessment … comes as President Trump raises the prospect of the US and Saudi Arabia joining forces to launch a retaliatory strike on Iran,” the report added.

Saudi officials have said that the information shared by the US was not definitive and that they have not reached the same conclusion yet, according to the WSJ.

The Arab coalition had said earlier that they were continuing the investigation with the relevant authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and that the initial investigation indicated that the weapons used in the attack which targeted oil facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais were Iranian.

“At the end of the day, conventional military action is a last resort for any state, and it is something that would be done in coordination with regional and international stakeholders,” said Mohamed Alyahya, a Saudi political analyst and editor-in-chief of Al Arabiya English.

“Any reaction whatsoever, or lack thereof, will have significant consequences on the future of the region,” he added.

Al Arabiya English

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