- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click here to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
(CNN Spanish) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attack on Saudi oil facilities "an Iranian attack" that was an "act of war."
Pompeo did not provide any details that would definitely show that the Iranians launched the attack from Iran.
"We were blessed that there were no Americans killed in this attack, but every time you have an act of war of this nature, there is always the risk of that happening," he said. "This is an attack of a scale that we have not seen before," he added later.
Pompeo, speaking with journalists off camera before landing in Jeddah, said: “This was an Iranian attack. It is not the case that he can outsource the devastation of 5% of the world's global energy supply and think that he can be absolved of responsibility. If the fraudulent claim of the Houthis were accurate, if it were true, it is not, but if it is true, it does not change the fingerprints of Ayatollah for having jeopardized the world's energy supply. ”
Pompeo said the intelligence community is confident that the Houthis did not possess weapons systems like those used in the attacks. He said they believe the attacks originated in Iran, not in Iraq.
"As for how we know, it is unknown that the equipment used is in the Houthis' arsenal," he said. “These line attack cruise missiles that we have never seen there and we believe we have seen almost everything. Therefore, the intelligence community is very confident that these were not weapons that would have been in the possession of the Houthis. That is probably the most important information. ”
“We also know that these are systems that the Iranians have not deployed anywhere else, that they have not deployed outside their country as far as we know best. We have not seen them deploy this type of unmanned aerial vehicle systems with these types of ranges and capacities, nor have we seen them place these missiles where they could have done so. We have not seen evidence that it comes from Iraq. I could have traveled through Kuwait, we haven't seen that, ”said Pompeo.
He also called the Houthi liars and suggested that they do not operate independently of Tehran.
"Every time they report on them, and say 'The Houthis said,' they should say, 'The well-known Houthis, often liars, have said the following.' This is important because they should not report on them as if they were telling the truth, as if they are people who are not completely under the boot of the Iranians and who, under the direction of the Iranians, will not be awarded attacks in which they are not involved Which was clearly the case here, ”said Pompeo. “So there it goes, when they say Houthis, they should start with 'Houthis, often known for lying,' and then you can write whatever they say. And that would be a good report (laughs) and I know they care a lot about that good report. ”
Mike Pompeo
