Cruise missiles and drones, used in four attacks in 2019 against Saudi Arabia, " are of Iranian origin " with items exported to Iran or manufactured in Iran, says report by UN Secretary-General released Thursday to the Security Council.
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Transmitted to AFP on Friday, this report on the application of resolution 2231 endorsing in 2015 the nuclear agreement with Iran details the examination of debris from cruise missiles and drones used in the attacks on oil installations Saudi Arabians in Afif (May 2019), Abqaiq and Khurays (September 2019), and Abha International Airport (June and August 2019).
" The secretariat believes that the cruise missiles and / or some of their components used in the four attacks are of Iranian origin ," said the report by Antonio Guterres. Regarding the air vehicles used in the attacks against Saudi oil installations in May and September 2019, " the secretariat believes that the drones or some of their components used in the two attacks are of Iranian origin ," added the UN chief. .
In September, the multiple attacks on the oil sites of the Saudi company Aramco had been spectacular, caused extensive damage and momentarily halved Saudi production of black gold. At the end of September, France, Germany and the United Kingdom joined the United States to accuse Tehran of being " responsible " for the attacks.
Charges dismissed
Iran then formally denied any involvement and in his report Antonio Guterres mentions several exchanges with Tehran rejecting the accusations against him. The report also looks at U.S. arms seizures off Yemen, believed to be targeting Houthi rebels, on November 25, 2019 and February 9, 2020.
Weapons or elements of these weapons " are of Iranian origin " or have characteristics similar to Iranian productions, specifies the report by evoking missile launchers produced in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and optical weapon sights delivered to Iran between February 2016 and April 2018. Parts " could have been transferred in a manner incompatible with resolution 2231 ", notes the UN secretary-general, also noting that some of them are identical or similar to elements found in the attacks against Saudi Arabia in 2019.
In a letter dated 22 May, Iran indicated that " it was not (its) policy to export weapons in violation of the arms embargoes decreed by the Security Council ," said the head of the Security Council. the UN. Tehran also argued that " resolution 2231 does not prohibit a transfer of weapons from Tehran, " he added.
His report finally returns to Iran's satellite launches, which the West considers incompatible with the terms of resolution 2231. What Iran, supported by Russia, opposes by virtue of a different interpretation of text.
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