Evidence from Saudi oil attack points to Iran, not Yemen - U.S. official

By Roberta Rampton and Rania El Gamal

 

A satellite image shows an apparent drone strike on an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia September 14, 2019. Planet Labs Inc/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON/DUBAI (Reuters) - The attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on Saturday that has threatened global oil supplies came from a direction indicating that Iran was behind it, and cruise missiles may have been the weapon of choice, according to a senior U.S. official.

 

The comments added heft to Washington’s accusation that Iran launched the attacks that knocked out more than 5% of global oil supply, instead of the Yemeni Houthi group that claimed it. Tehran rejected the accusation, but said it was ready for war.

 

The strike on the heartland of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, which included damage to the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility, was expected to send oil prices up $5 to $10 per barrel on Monday and inflame tensions across the Middle East.

 

The U.S. official, who asked not to be named, said on Sunday there were 19 points of impact in the attack on Saudi facilities and that evidence showed the launch area was west-northwest of the targets - the direction of Iraq and Iran - not south from Yemen.

 

The official added that Saudi officials indicated they had seen signs that cruise missiles were used in the attack, which is inconsistent with the Iran-aligned Houthi group’s claim that it conducted the attack with 10 drones.

 

"There's no doubt that Iran is responsible for this. No matter how you slice it, there's no escaping it. There's no other candidate," the official told reporters.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed the U.S. allegation it was responsible as "pointless". A senior Revolutionary Guards commander warned that the Islamic Republic was ready for "full-fledged" war.

 

"All American bases and their aircraft carriers in a distance of up to 2,000 kilometres around Iran are within the range of our missiles," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Commander Amirali Hajizadeh as saying.

 

Riyadh has accused Iran of being behind previous attacks on oil-pumping stations and the Shaybah oilfield, charges that Tehran denies. Saudi Arabia has not yet blamed any party for Saturday's strike. Riyadh also says Tehran arms the Houthis, a charge both deny.

 

State oil giant Saudi Aramco said the attack cut output by 5.7 million barrels per day, at a time when Aramco is trying to ready itself for what is expected to be the world's largest share sale.

 

Aramco gave no timeline for output resumption. A source close to the matter told Reuters the return to full oil capacity could take "weeks, not days".

Traders and analysts said crude may spike to as high as $100 a barrel if Riyadh fails to quickly bring back supply.

 

Another source briefed on the developments said Saudi oil exports would continue to run as normal this week thanks to large storage in the kingdom, the world's top oil exporter. It ships more than 7 million barrels daily to global destinations.

 

Riyadh said it would compensate for the damage at its facilities by drawing on its stocks, which stood at 188 million barrels in June, according to official data. The United States said it was also ready to tap emergency oil reserves if needed.

 

The Saudi bourse closed down 1.1% on Sunday, with banking and petrochemical shares taking the biggest hit. Saudi petrochemical firms announced a significant reduction in feedstock supplies.

 

"Abqaiq is the nerve centre of the Saudi energy system. Even if exports resume in the next 24 to 48 hours, the image of invulnerability has been altered," Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told Reuters.

 

'UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK'

According to the U.S. official, 17 structures at Abqaiq suffered damage on their west-northwest facing sides, along with two points of impact at Saudi's Khurais facility.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that there was no evidence the attack came from Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis for over four years in a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Muslim rival Iran.

 

"Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply," he said.

 

Some Iraqi media outlets said the attack came from there. Baghdad denied that on Sunday and vowed to punish anyone using Iraq, where Iran-backed paramilitary groups wield increasing power, as a launchpad for attacks.

 

Kuwait, which borders Iraq, said it was investigating the sighting of a drone over its territory and coordinating with Saudi Arabia and other countries. The Cabinet said the prime minister ordered tighter security at vital installations.

 

Regional tensions have escalated since Washington quit an international nuclear deal and extended sanctions on Iran.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Saturday's attacks and called on all parties to exercise restraint and prevent any escalation.

 

The European Union warned that the strikes posed a real threat to regional security, Britain called them a "reckless attempt" to disrupt global oil supplies and France said such actions could only worsen the "risk of conflict". Iran's ally Turkey called for the avoidance of "provocative steps".

 

U.S.-IRAN TALKS

The attack came after U.S. President Donald Trump said a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was possible at the U.N. General Assembly in New York this month. Tehran ruled out talks until sanctions are lifted.

 

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway did not rule out a possible meeting between the two, but told "Fox News Sunday" that the strikes "did not help" that prospect.

 

Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Trump that Riyadh was ready to deal with "terrorist aggression". A Saudi-led coalition has responded to past Houthi attacks with air strikes on the group's military sites in Yemen.

 

The conflict has been in military stalemate for years. The Saudi alliance has air supremacy but has come under scrutiny over civilian deaths and a humanitarian crisis that has left millions facing starvation. The Houthis, more adept at guerrilla warfare, have increased attacks on Saudi cities, thwarting peace efforts.

 

(Reporting by Rania El Gamal and Parisa Hafezi; Additional reporting by Saeed Azhar and Hadeel Al Sayegh in Dubai, Timothy Gardner in Washington, William James in London, John Irish in Paris, Alex Lawler, Julia Payne and Ron Bousso in London, Robin Emmott in Brussels, and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous and Richard Valdmanis; Editing by William Maclean and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-16

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Iran dismisses U.S. claim it was behind Saudi oil strikes, says ready for war

By Rania El Gamal and Parisa Hafezi

 

Smoke is seen following a fire at Aramco facility in the eastern city of Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 14, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran rejected accusations by the United States that it was behind attacks on Saudi oil plants that risk disrupting world energy supplies and warned on Sunday that U.S. bases and aircraft carriers in the region were in range of its missiles.

 

Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks that knocked out more than half of Saudi oil output or more than 5% of global supply, but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the assault was the work of Iran, a Houthi ally.

 

The drone strikes on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, including the world's biggest petroleum processing facility, were expected to send oil prices up $5-10 per barrel on Monday as tensions rise in the Middle East.

 

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed the U.S. allegation as "pointless". A senior Revolutionary Guards commander warned that the Islamic Republic was ready for "full-fledged" war.

 

"All American bases and their aircraft carriers in a distance of up to 2,000 kilometres around Iran are within the range of our missiles," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted commander Amirali Hajizadeh as saying.

 

State oil giant Saudi Aramco said the attack cut output by 5.7 million barrels per day, at a time when Aramco is trying to ready itself for what is expected to be the world's largest share sale.

 

Aramco gave no timeline for output resumption. A source close to the matter told Reuters the return to full oil capacity could take "weeks, not days".

 

Another source briefed on the developments said Saudi oil exports would continue to run as normal this week thanks to large storage in the kingdom.

 

But it remains unclear how long the oil production shut down will continue, because the damage to the infrastructure "was big" and could not be fixed overnight, the source added.

 

Traders and analysts said crude may spike to as high as $100 if Riyadh fails to quickly bring back supply.

 

The kingdom, the world's top oil exporter, ships more than 7 million barrels of oil to global destinations every day.

 

Riyadh said it would compensate for the loss by drawing on its stocks which stood at 188 million barrels in June, according to official data. The United States said it was also ready to tap emergency oil reserves if needed.

 

The Saudi bourse closed down 1.1% with banking and petrochemical shares taking the biggest hit. Saudi petrochemical firms announced a significant reduction in feedstock supplies.

 

"Abqaiq is the nerve centre of the Saudi energy system. Even if exports resume in the next 24-48 hours, the image of invulnerability has been altered," Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told Reuters.

 

"UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK"

According to U.S. government information, 15 structures at Abqaiq suffered damage on their west-northwest facing sides.

 

Pompeo said there was no evidence the attack came from Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis for over four years in a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Muslim rival Iran.

 

"Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply," he said.

 

Some Iraqi media outlets said the attack came from there. Baghdad denied this on Sunday and vowed to punish anyone using Iraq, where Iran-backed paramilitary groups wield increasing power, as a launchpad for attacks.

 

Kuwait, which borders Iraq, said it was investigating the sighting of a drone over its territory and coordinating with Saudi Arabia and other countries. The cabinet said the prime minister ordered tighter security at vital installations.

 

Riyadh accused Iran of being behind previous attacks on oil pumping stations and the Shaybah oilfield, charges Tehran denies. It has not yet blamed any party for Saturday's strike, but linked it to a recent series of attacks on Saudi oil assets and crude tankers in Gulf waters.

 

Riyadh says Iran arms the Houthis, a charge both deny.

 

Regional tensions have escalated since Washington quit an international nuclear deal and extended sanctions on Iran.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Saturday's attacks and called on all parties to exercises restraint and prevent any escalation.

 

The European Union warned that the strikes posed a real threat to regional security, Britain called them a "reckless attempt" to disrupt global oil supplies and France said such actions could only worsen "risk of conflict". Iran's ally Turkey called for the avoidance of "provocative steps".

 

U.S.-IRAN TALKS

The attack comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was possible at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this month. Tehran ruled out talks until sanctions are lifted.

 

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway did not rule out a possible meeting between the two but told "Fox News Sunday" that the strikes "did not help" that prospect.

 

Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Trump that Riyadh was ready to deal with "terrorist aggression".

 

The Saudi-led coalition has responded to past Houthi attacks with air strikes on the group's military sites in Yemen.

 

The conflict has been in military stalemate for years. The alliance has air supremacy but has come under scrutiny over civilian deaths and a humanitarian crisis that has left millions facing starvation. The Houthis, more adept at guerrilla warfare, have increased attacks on Saudi cities, thwarting peace efforts.

 

The United Arab Emirates, Riyadh's main partner in the alliance, has reduced its presence in Yemen due to concern over rising Iran tensions and Western criticism of the war, leaving Riyadh to try to neutralise the Houthi threat along its border.

 

Iran's foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said Washington and its allies were "stuck in Yemen" and that blaming Tehran "won't end the disaster".

 

(Additional reporting by Saeed Azhar and Hadeel Al Sayegh in Dubai, Timothy Gardner in Washington, William James in London, John Irish in Paris, Alex Lawler, Julia Payne and Ron Bousso in London, Robin Emmott in Brussels, and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-16

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23 minutes ago, webfact said:

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that there was no evidence the attack came from Yemen,

Pompeo is saying that the attacks were cruise missiles from Iranian controlled southern Iraq.  He is working on getting the proof declassified so he can go public with the info.. I'm sure that Trump would declassify it immediately and might even take his favourite sharpy to it!

 

Anything coming from the trump administration I take with a grain of salt sadly that’s what you get when you are a chronic lyre show us the proof and if it was Iran do you think they would have done it if (you) had honored the agreement that was in place?

and we should blindly believe it because the US says so.  

There was a time when we believed what American officials told us.

That time was long ago.

We all know why the Americans want to blame. And what a surprise, they blame exactly them.

 

Obviously I don't know who attacked. It might have been Iran. But maybe not. Who believes serial liars?

A 9/11 conspiracy troll post has been removed. 

2 hours ago, wayned said:

Pompeo is saying that the attacks were cruise missiles from Iranian controlled southern Iraq.  He is working on getting the proof declassified so he can go public with the info.. I'm sure that Trump would declassify it immediately and might even take his favourite sharpy to it!

 

So nice that you can be so sure of something that has not happened yet, sharpy wise that is.

Iran's ally Turkey called for the avoidance of "provocative steps

 

Firing missiles at oil installations blowing up tankers and pipelines is all perfectly normal for Erdogan ????   

39 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

There was a time when we believed what American officials told us.

That time was long ago.

We all know why the Americans want to blame. And what a surprise, they blame exactly them.

 

Obviously I don't know who attacked. It might have been Iran. But maybe not. Who believes serial liars?

I believe the officials of my country (The USA), as much as I believe what is posted on TVF...very little. Who is this mysterious "We". Perhaps replace it "We", with "I, me or my". 

Edited September 16, 20196 yr by Benmart

22 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Iran's ally Turkey called for the avoidance of "provocative steps

 

Firing missiles at oil installations blowing up tankers and pipelines is all perfectly normal for Erdogan ????   

Tossing out accusations without proof is not helping your argument.

In this case US being right or wrong is not yet relevant . What is relevant though is Iran’s response which is denial but ready to go to full blown war.

 

Why would you say ready to go to war if you are innocent ? 

 

If indeed not responsible , why not deny and demand proof instead of jumping straight into ready for war and threatening US ? 

2 minutes ago, BestB said:

Why would you say ready to go to war if you are innocent ? 

Er, because you are being threatened by the current US administration which is known to react to military capability (see Trump's sucking up of Kim) not rationality.

3 minutes ago, BestB said:

In this case US being right or wrong is not yet relevant . What is relevant though is Iran’s response which is denial but ready to go to full blown war.

 

Why would you say ready to go to war if you are innocent ? 

 

If indeed not responsible , why not deny and demand proof instead of jumping straight into ready for war and threatening US ? 

It’s called playing to the home front politics.

 

How about the US presenting some credible proof to back the administration’s accusations, though problems with credibility might be a problem.

 

 

It is difficult to process an opinion on this. I can see Yemen would want to do it, or Iran would want to do it; and I can really see why America wants it to be Iran that did it. I would even believe that America did it, or even Israel. They have been pounding the war drums against Iran for such a long time, and still they have no satisfaction.

I imagine we will never know who did it. The question is, what will happen next?

Edited September 16, 20196 yr by canuckamuck

14 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Tossing out accusations without proof is not helping your argument.

Tossing in that! carry on tossing???? 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Evidence from Saudi oil attack points to Iran, not Yemen

dig deeper and Putin will be involved

21 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

what will happen next?

That's obvious!  More sanctions!!!

32 minutes ago, Why Me said:

Er, because you are being threatened by the current US administration which is known to react to military capability (see Trump's sucking up of Kim) not rationality.

Err no they were not, try to read not imagine

32 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s called playing to the home front politics.

 

How about the US presenting some credible proof to back the administration’s accusations, though problems with credibility might be a problem.

 

 

Did you read the OP? Attacks came from different direction and exactly like you said , why not demand evidence instead of threatening to go to war. Not defend its position , not defend itself but go to war 

With the strong presence of the American Navy in the Persian Gulf, ten drones flown from Iran would have been detected, their flight path traced and the drones shot down. Therefore the Yanks must have been either asleep, or the drones took a different pass, from Israel, Yemen, or wherever.

From the OP.

 

The U.S. official, who asked not to be named, said on Sunday there were 19 points of impact in the attack on Saudi facilities and that evidence showed the launch area was west-northwest of the targets - the direction of Iraq and Iran - not south from Yemen.

 

My geography was never that good but west-northwest would be more from the direction of Israel than Iran wouldn't it?

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

There was a time when we believed what American officials told us.

That time was long ago.

We all know why the Americans want to blame. And what a surprise, they blame exactly them.

 

Obviously I don't know who attacked. It might have been Iran. But maybe not. Who believes serial liars?

I would think that the air space between Iran and Saudi Arabia is so closely monitored that even a bird cannot cross it without being seen.  The Houthi's claim they did the attack....they are Shia Muslims which Prince MBS would like to wipe out and therefore Iranian sympathy and support for the Houthi's should not be a surprise (or have we forgotten the Catholic - Protestant religious war of 100 years which ended in 1648 ?)

13 minutes ago, fxe1200 said:

With the strong presence of the American Navy in the Persian Gulf, ten drones flown from Iran would have been detected, their flight path traced and the drones shot down. Therefore the Yanks must have been either asleep, or the drones took a different pass, from Israel, Yemen, or wherever.

US said it was not drones but cruise missile more likely 

Edited September 16, 20196 yr by BestB

7 minutes ago, BestB said:

US said it was not drones but cruise missile more likely 

Yes, and these would not have been detected?

20 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

From the OP.

 

The U.S. official, who asked not to be named, said on Sunday there were 19 points of impact in the attack on Saudi facilities and that evidence showed the launch area was west-northwest of the targets - the direction of Iraq and Iran - not south from Yemen.

 

My geography was never that good but west-northwest would be more from the direction of Israel than Iran wouldn't it?

Well noted, but Americans never were good at geography.

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Yes, and these would not have been detected?

No different to not detecting 12 drones 

Whoever did it made a lot of people happy to see Saudi Arabia's oil fields in flames.

The spike in petrol prices is a reminder of what's to come if the US and Israel get their war.

2 minutes ago, DaddyWarbucks said:

Whoever did it made a lot of people happy to see Saudi Arabia's oil fields in flames.

The spike in petrol prices is a reminder of what's to come if the US and Israel get their war.

US and Israel want war with Saudi ? Troll much ?

3 minutes ago, BestB said:

US and Israel want war with Saudi ? Troll much ?

A Middle East war would be a disaster that would effect the whole region.