The drone attacks on the most important oil refinery in Saudi Arabia were, according to the US, carried out by Iran - and not by the Yemeni Houthi rebels.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter on Saturday: "In the midst of calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on world energy supply, with no evidence that the attacks came from Yemen."
Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy. Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply. There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.
- Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) September 14, 2019Previously, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels from neighboring Yemen had explicitly made the attacks known. Pompeo urged all nations to condemn the Iranian attacks "publicly and clearly". The US would ensure that Iran was held accountable for its aggression.
We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks. Iran is held accountable for its aggression
- Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) September 14, 2019The White House said US President Donald Trump had "offered his support for Saudi Arabia's self-defense" to Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman in a telephone conversation.
The US government will continue to work to ensure that global oil markets are sufficiently supplied and stable.
Fires in both refineries should be under control
According to The New York Times, the two centers handle 8.45 million barrels of crude a day, which accounts for the bulk of Saudi Arabia's oil production. The country produces nearly a tenth of the world's crude oil.
Reuters reports that drone strikes have damaged oil production significantly. At the moment it is reduced by five million barrels per day. That's almost half of the Kingdom's production. The fires in both facilities are now under control, is now in the Saudi media.
Saudi Arabia is leading a US-backed military coalition in Yemen fighting the Houthis. These are in turn supported by Iran and keep large parts of the North Yemen including the capital Sanaa under control. In recent months, the Houthis have already made several attacks with drones on oil pipelines and airports in Saudi Arabia.
