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Middle East
Employees of Aramco oil company work in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant on September 20, 2019. Photo: Fayez Nureldine / AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers issued a statement on Tuesday calling on the international community to challenge Iran’s “destructive” behavior, a week after Tehran was accused of being behind a missile and drone attack on Saudi oil infrastructure.
Britain, France and Germany joined the United States on Monday in blaming Iran for attacks on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump announced a tightening of sanctions against Iran in the aftermath of the attacks, but has so far resisted the temptation of retaliating militarily.
“The international community has a big responsibility to put a limit to the destructive, aggressive policies of Iran,” the Council of Ministers said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The Council met on Tuesday to discuss a number of domestic and external topics, including last week’s attack on an Aramco oil facility, which knocked out half of the kingdom’s oil output.
The attack has been widely blamed on Iran, despite the Houthi rebels of Yemen claiming responsibility.
“The sabotage attack that targeted the oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, in which Iranian weapons were used, constitute a threat to international peace and security, and unjustified attack against energy supplies to world markets,” the kingdom said.
Tensions have been on the rise in the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf, since Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018.
Since then, oil tankers have been attacked in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. A British-flagged oil tanker was held by Iran for several months in retaliation for the British seizing a tanker off the coast of Gibraltar carrying Iranian oil.
The US has sent more forces to the region and assembled the “International Maritime Security Construct” – a US-led international alliance to provide freedom of navigation and security in the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabia joined the US-led maritime security alliance on September 18. The maritime alliance currently consists of Bahrain, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“The Council re-affirmed that the Kingdom’s decision to join the International Alliance for the Safety and Protection of Maritime Navigation and Ensuring the Safety of Seaways is to support regional and international efforts to counter and face threats to sea navigation, international trade, and ensure the safety and continuity of the pumping of energy supplies to the international economy,” the Saudi Council of Ministers added.
Britain, France and Germany joined the United States on Monday in blaming Iran for attacks on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump announced a tightening of sanctions against Iran in the aftermath of the attacks, but has so far resisted the temptation of retaliating militarily.
“The international community has a big responsibility to put a limit to the destructive, aggressive policies of Iran,” the Council of Ministers said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The Council met on Tuesday to discuss a number of domestic and external topics, including last week’s attack on an Aramco oil facility, which knocked out half of the kingdom’s oil output.
The attack has been widely blamed on Iran, despite the Houthi rebels of Yemen claiming responsibility.
“The sabotage attack that targeted the oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, in which Iranian weapons were used, constitute a threat to international peace and security, and unjustified attack against energy supplies to world markets,” the kingdom said.
Tensions have been on the rise in the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf, since Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018.
Since then, oil tankers have been attacked in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. A British-flagged oil tanker was held by Iran for several months in retaliation for the British seizing a tanker off the coast of Gibraltar carrying Iranian oil.
The US has sent more forces to the region and assembled the “International Maritime Security Construct” – a US-led international alliance to provide freedom of navigation and security in the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabia joined the US-led maritime security alliance on September 18. The maritime alliance currently consists of Bahrain, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“The Council re-affirmed that the Kingdom’s decision to join the International Alliance for the Safety and Protection of Maritime Navigation and Ensuring the Safety of Seaways is to support regional and international efforts to counter and face threats to sea navigation, international trade, and ensure the safety and continuity of the pumping of energy supplies to the international economy,” the Saudi Council of Ministers added.
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