WASHINGTON/JEDDAH/DUBAI • US President Donald Trump yesterday announced what he said would be substantial new sanctions against Iran in the first response to what American officials say was likely Iranian involvement in an attack on Saudi oil facilities.
"I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran!" Mr Trump said in a tweet.
The United States already enforces widespread sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy, including attempting to shut down its oil export industry.
The US believes last Saturday's attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities was launched from Iran, two US officials said, with one of them saying it originated in Iran's south-west.
Three officials said the attack involved both cruise missiles and drones, indicating that the strike had a higher degree of complexity and sophistication than initially thought.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia yesterday displayed remnants of drones and missiles it said were used in the attack on its oil facilities as "undeniable" evidence of Iranian aggression.
Saudi Arabia's defence ministry spokesman, Mr Turki al-Malki, said Iranian Delta Wing unmanned aerial vehicles were used in addition to cruise missiles.
"The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran," he told a news conference.
The evidence presented by Riyadh linked its main regional adversary Iran to the unprecedented attack on its oil industry, in a perilous escalation of Middle East friction.
Iran, however, has again denied involvement in the weekend raids, which hit the world's biggest crude processing plant, initially knocking out half of Saudi production.
"They want to impose maximum... pressure on Iran through slander," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said.
"We don't want conflict in the region... Who started the conflict?" he added, blaming Washington and its Gulf allies for war in Yemen.
In an official note to Washington, Teheran said Iran's retaliation to any military attack will not be "limited to its source", Iran's Isna news agency reported yesterday.
"In an official note to the United States via Swiss embassy, Iran has reiterated that it was not behind attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities and it has warned that any move by America against Iran will get immediate reaction," Isna reported.
Yemen's Houthi movement, an ally of Iran for more than four years, has claimed responsibility for the assault on Aramco's sites.
Concrete evidence showing Iranian responsibility could pressure Riyadh and Washington into a response, though both nations were stressing the need for caution.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the hit on the world's biggest crude exporter was a "real test of the global will" to confront subversion of the international order.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was to meet the Crown Prince in Jeddah yesterday to discuss the crisis before heading to the United Arab Emirates.
United Nations officials monitoring sanctions on Iran and Yemen were also heading to Saudi Arabia to investigate.
Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister said yesterday that the attack had "zero" impact on revenues and that Aramco was continuing to supply markets without interruption.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
