E-Paper
Trump suggests Iranian role in Saudi oilfield attacks
The president did not name Iran before in tweets he posted Sunday saying the US knew the “culprit”, but had not identified Iran, which has been named, however, by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials, who have also released satellite images to back their claims.
President Donald Trump moved closer Monday to holding Iran responsible for the attacks on Saudi oilfields after stating the United States was “locked and loaded” for military action in retaliation, subject to verification and who Riyadh believed ws behind the bombings that have halved their crude production.
The president did not name Iran before in tweets he posted Sunday saying the US knew the “culprit”, but had not identified Iran, which has been named, however, by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials, who have also released satellite images to back their claims.
They have also said a mix of 17 drones and missiles were used in the attacks, for which Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility.
Iran had forcefully denied any responsibility and dismissed US allegations as “max deceit”.
But the US remains unconvinced. “Remember when Iran shot down a drone, saying knowingly that it was in their ‘airspace’ when, in fact, it was nowhere close,” he wrote on twitter referring the June showdown in which Iran had shot down a US drone alleging it had entered its airspace. Trump had called off a retaliatory strike shortly before launch.
“They stuck strongly to that story knowing that it was a very big lie. Now they say that they had nothing to do with the attack on Saudi Arabia. We’ll see?”
On Sunday, the American had not named in a tweets in which he had said the US knows the “culprit”, and that the US is “locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!”
Trump has also said he has ordered for the release of crude from America’s strategic reserves to keep world markets “well supplied”.
