Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
UK Says Iran Responsible for Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
September 23, 2019

Share

NEW YORK — Britain has concluded that Iran was responsible for attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday. He said the U.K. would consider taking part in a U.S.-led military effort to bolster the Gulf kingdom’s defenses, while Iran’s president announced plans for a rival Iranian-led security coalition.
The U.K. Conservative prime minister also said the he would work with allies to “de-escalate” Middle East tensions that have soared since the Sept. 14 attack on the world’s largest oil processor and an oil field.

“We will be working with our American friends and our European friends to construct a response that tries to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf region.” — Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Britain had previously held back from attributing blame for the drone and missile attack. Saudi Arabia and the United States say Iran was responsible, something Tehran denies.
Johnson told reporters flying with him late Sunday to New York for the U.N. General Assembly that now “the U.K. is attributing responsibility with a very high degree of probability to Iran” for the attack by drones and cruise missiles.
“We will be working with our American friends and our European friends to construct a response that tries to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf region,” Johnson said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi later criticized Johnson’s comments and said Britain should stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia amid its war in Yemen, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
Shortly before leaving for the U.N. meetings Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country will invite “all littoral states of the Persian Gulf” to join an Iranian-led coalition “to guarantee the region’s security.”
His remarks were broadcast on state television.
Rouhani said the plan — details of which he will present at the United Nations — is not limited to “security” but also encompasses economic cooperation and an initiative for “long-term” peace.

Johnson Stressed the Need for a Diplomatic Response

Iran’s president had already called on Western powers Sunday to leave the security of the Persian Gulf to regional nations led by Tehran.
Johnson said he would meet Rouhani at this week’s high-level U.N. gathering. Johnson is also due to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. He said he wanted Britain to be “a bridge between our European friends and the Americans when it comes to the crisis in the Gulf.”
The U.S. and Europe have diverged sharply on how to deal with Iran. European nations, including Britain, still adhere to an international deal designed to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the agreement.
Johnson stressed the need for a diplomatic response to the Gulf tensions, but said Britain would consider any request for military help. The Trump administration announced Friday that it would send additional U.S. troops and missile defense equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as part of a “defensive” deployment. Officials said the number of troops was likely to be in the hundreds.
“We will be following that very closely,” Johnson said. “And clearly if we are asked, either by the Saudis or by the Americans, to have a role, then we will consider in what way we could be useful. We will consider in what way we could be useful, if asked, depending on what the exact plan is.”
A U.K. official told The Associated Press that a claim of responsibility for the attacks by Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen was “implausible.” He said remnants of Iran-made cruise missiles were found at the attack site, and “the sophistication points very, very firmly to Iranian involvement.” He spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence findings.
The official did not say whether Britain believed the attack was launched from Iranian soil.
Iran denies responsibility and has warned any retaliatory attack targeting it will result in an “all-out war.”

Photo of President Hassan Rouhani
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani reviews an honor guard at the Mehrabad airport while leaving Tehran, Iran, for New York to attend United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. Rouhani, before traveling to attend the U.N. meetings, said Monday that Iran will invite “all littoral states of the Persian Gulf” to join its coalition “to guarantee the region’s security.” (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

Rouhani Referred to a New Round of U.S. Sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank

On Monday, Rouhani said the U.S. was exaggerating the scale of damage wrought by the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil company and using it as an excuse to send more troops and equipment to the kingdom.
“It is clear that they would like to completely take hold of eastern Saudi Arabia’s oil,” he said.

“It is clear that they would like to completely take hold of eastern Saudi Arabia’s oil.” — President Hassan Rouhani
Rouhani also referred to a new round of U.S. sanctions on Iran’s central bank and other financial bodies as a “repeat cassette tape.”
Many of the sanctions had applied before Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers promised to lift them, in exchange for curbing the country’s atomic program.
“This means the U.S. is completely desperate,” he said, suggesting the U.S. had little leverage left over Iran.
Meanwhile Monday, Iran’s government spokesman Ali Rabiei said legal proceedings against a British-flagged oil tanker held by Tehran since July have concluded, though he doesn’t know when the vessel will leave.
However, the Stena Impero has not turned on its satellite-tracking beacon in 58 days nor has there been any sign that it has left its position off the Iranian coast near the port city of Bandar Abbas. Stena Bulk, the ship’s Swedish owners, also has not said anything about the ship’s departure.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the Stena Impero in July after authorities in Gibraltar seized an Iranian crude oil tanker. That ship has since left Gibraltar, leading to hopes the Stena Impero would be released.
[activecampaign form=29]

DON'T MISS

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

DON'T MISS

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

DON'T MISS

Police Had About 90 Seconds to Stop Traffic Before Baltimore Bridge Fell. 6 Workers Are Feared Dead

DON'T MISS

NBC Has Cut Ties With Former RNC Head Ronna McDaniel After Employee Objections, Some on the Air

DON'T MISS

7 Lebanese and an Israeli Killed in an Exchange of Fire Along the Lebanon-Israel Border

DON'T MISS

Chinese Leader Xi Issues a Positive Message to US Business Leaders as Ties Improve

DON'T MISS

Cargo Ship Lost Power, Issued Mayday Before Hitting Baltimore’s Bridge

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Social Media Company Soars Nearly 50% in Its First Day of Trading on Nasdaq

DON'T MISS

Israel and Hamas Dig in as World Pressure Builds for Cease-Fire

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Appears Likely to Preserve Access to Abortion Medication Mifepristone

No data was found

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

16 hours ago

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

17 hours ago

CA Insurance Market ‘in Chaos,’ Says Former Insurance Commissioner. Can Lara Fix It?

18 hours ago

Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Sets a Record After Wall Streets Breaks Out of Its Lull

18 hours ago

House Speaker Mike Johnson Headed to Fresno on April 4

18 hours ago

Bredefeld, Smittcamp Debate the Salary of Valley Children’s CEO

18 hours ago

CA’s Liberal Government Has a Long History of Caving to Special Interests

19 hours ago

Corrupt Process? Bullard, Edison Parents Blast Handling of Superintendent Search

19 hours ago

Police Had About 90 Seconds to Stop Traffic Before Baltimore Bridge Fell. 6 Workers Are Feared Dead

20 hours ago

NBC Has Cut Ties With Former RNC Head Ronna McDaniel After Employee Objections, Some on the Air

20 hours ago

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

Carmi, an incredible 1-year-old kitten mama, can be very gentle but can also get overstimulated and give love bites. Even her warm, honey-co...
Animals /

3 hours ago

Animals /
3 hours ago

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

11 hours ago

Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled

Composite image of President Trump and Devin Nunes
15 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: How Going to Work for Trump Turned Devin Nunes Into a Millionaire

16 hours ago

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

17 hours ago

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

18 hours ago

CA Insurance Market ‘in Chaos,’ Says Former Insurance Commissioner. Can Lara Fix It?

18 hours ago

Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Sets a Record After Wall Streets Breaks Out of Its Lull

18 hours ago

House Speaker Mike Johnson Headed to Fresno on April 4

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend