Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of “unquestionably” sponsoring the attacks on its oil infrastructure.
Showing debris from the alleged weapons used at a press conference on Wednesday, a defence ministry spokesman said there was no way the strikes could have been launched from Yemen, as claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
Colonel Turki al-Malki said the recovered drone and missile parts provided “undeniable” evidence of Iranian aggression.
Al-Malki said a total of 25 drones and missiles were launched, including what he called Iranian Delta Wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Saudi officials said the cruise missile, which had what appeared to be a jet engine attached to it, was a land attack cruise missile that failed to explode.
“The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran,” he told a news conference. “We are working to know the exact launch point.”
Al-Malki didn’t directly blame Iran for the attack when asked by journalists. He said once “the culprits” were definitively identified they would “be held accountable”.
Tehran has denied being involved and warned the US it would retaliate “immediately” if targeted over it.
Iran has stuck with its account that the Houthi rebels are responsible, with President Hassan Rouhani saying on Wednesday they carried out the strike as a “warning” about a possible wider war in response to the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, on Wednesday said the attack on the heart of the kingdom’s oil industry was a “real test” of global will.
On Saturday, the attack struck the world’s biggest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia, as well as an oil field. It took out six percent of global supplies.
The United States has said its military was “locked and loaded”, suggesting it may retaliate against the perpetrators of the strikes on its closest Middle Eastern ally.
The Saudi press conference came after Iran warned the United States it will retaliate “immediately” if Tehran is targeted, its state-run news agency reported, further raising Gulf tensions.
Iran sent a message through Swiss diplomats in Tehran on Monday, reiterating that Tehran denies being involved in the Saudi attack, IRNA reported. The Swiss have looked after American interests in Tehran for decades.
“If any action takes place against Iran, the action will be faced by Iran’s answer immediately,” IRNA quoted the message as saying. It added Iran’s response wouldn’t be limited to the source of the threat, suggesting it would inflict damage beyond what it had suffered.
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