WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday it was “quitepossible” Iran was responsible for sabotage of Gulf oil interests as heprepared to brief lawmakers on rising tensions.
Pompeo cautioned that the United States has not made “a definitiveconclusion” that can be presented publicly over mysterious sabotageincidents of oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates or drone strikes on acrude pipeline in Saudi Arabia.
“But given all the regional conflicts that we have seen over the pastdecade and the shape of these attacks, it seems like it’s quite possiblethat Iran was behind these,” Pompeo told conservative radio host HughHewitt.
“Most importantly, we will continue to take acts that protect Americaninterests and that work to deter Iran from misbehavior in the region, whichhas the real risk of escalating the situation such that crude oil pricesrise,” he said.
Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who are allied with Iran and are being hit hard byUS-backed Saudi airstrikes, claimed responsibility last week for a dronestrike on a major east-west pipeline in the kingdom, which was forced toshut down temporarily.
President Donald Trump has warned, “If Iran wants to fight, that will bethe official end of Iran” — but also on Monday downplayed the Iranianthreat to US interests.
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Pompeo is due later Tuesday to brief US lawmakers on Iran alongside actingDefense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and the top US military officer, GeneralJoseph Dunford.
Some Republican allies of Trump have called for the United States to beready with a major military response, but leading Democrats have accusedthe White House of hyping the intelligence, saying that Iran’s actions werepredictable responses to US moves.
Tensions have risen sharply in recent months as the Trump administrationhas vowed to cut off all oil exports from Iran and designated the eliteRevolutionary Guards as a terrorist group. -APP/AFP
