TEHRAN, Iran – Iran said Monday accusations that it had a role in the attack on Saudi oil installations were “unacceptable” and “baseless”, state television reported, after a senior US official said the Islamic Republic was behind it.
“These allegations are condemned as unacceptable and entirely baseless,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in remarks carried by state TV.
Trump from the other hand, authorized the use of the US emergency oil stockpile to ensure stable supplies after the attack, which shut 5% of world production and sent crude prices soaring more than 19% in early trade on Monday, before moderating to show a 10% gain, according to a report by Reuters.
“There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are 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 said on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked. There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are 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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2019
Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for Saturday’s drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, dismissing a claim by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels that they had attacked the two facilities.
“Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy,” Pompeo said in a tweet early Sunday. “Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply.”
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