Saudi oil plants attacks, the world’s biggest oil producing facility, Aramco, has caused raised eyebrows towards Iran as the usual suspect. Both Saudi Arabia and its major ally the United states hold Iran as the culprit, though Iran denies the blame.
Houthi rebels, the Iranian backed group fighting a four year-plus war in Yemen against the Saudi-led and US-backed government of Al-Hadi, has claimed the responsibility of the Saudi oil plants attacks. However, the US has insisted Iran is behind this offensive that involved 10 drone attacks on eastern part of the Kingdom in Abqaiq and Khurais facilities.
But the ownership of the incident which has reduced the oil production of Saudi Arabia by half has been proudly claimed by Houthis rebels, whose spokesman Yahya Saree sought to justify the offensive in media. Speaking to the Beirut-based Al Masirah TV, he said the Aramco attacks were carried out by 10 drones, claiming to obtain the inside help, alluding to the beleaguered Shia community residing near the oil facilities.
However, the experts believe that the recent attacks, which they believe is a mix of drones and cruise missile attacks, are too sophisticated to be launched by a non-state actor like Houthis rebels. A direct finger pointing at Tehran.
The US President Trump was the sharp to react on Sunday, “there is reason to believe,” that the White House knows the culprit of the attack and that the military is “locked and loaded” to take action, he said. The President said the US is “waiting to hear” from Riyadh “as to who they believe was the cause f this attack, and under what terms we would proceed”.
Trump’s veiled threat to Iran came after a high-profile National Security Council meeting at the White House that included Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of the State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper
From the Iranian side, the earlier statement came from its foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi who said the US allegations over the Aramco attacks is meant to justify “actions” against Iran. He associated the US reaction with ulterior motives aimed at damaging the reputation of Iran and create a framework for future actions.
In addition, the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Sunday to deride the US Secretary of State Mr. Pompeo in the following words: “having failed to max pressure, sec Pompeo’s turning to max deceit”. Zarif was referring to the United States gradual increase in strength and number of sanctions on Iran as a part of its maximum pressure campaign.
However, the Saudi oil plants attacks have two different theories so far. Interestingly both include Iranian hands. The only difference is that one suggests the indirect Iranian involvement, while the other suggest that the direct attacks launched by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The latter seems a far-fetched idea as it is unlike Iranian way that relies usually on its non-state actors like Hezbollah, Houthis or some Shia militias operating in Iraq and Syria.
So, the other prevailing theory has two further possibilities: either the Aramco attacks are the results of improved capabilities of Houthi rebels, in an unbelievably revolutionized way. Or the other theory which some US experts have floated as a realistic possibility as the directions of the attacks from the southern Iraq which lies closer to Abqaiq and Khurais. In that part of Iraq operate some shia militias for Iranian interests where one of such groups, Popular Mobilization Forces positions recently came under suspected Israeli attacks.
In any case, the repeated western provocations pointing Iran as the culprit behind these attacks have led Iran to present itself for a full-scale war with the United States. If it happens, no matter what the later consequences might be, it would be a complete failure of US diplomacy.
Related: https://www.rushhourdaily.com/us-iran-tensions-why-the-us-will-not-wage-war-on-iran/
