RIYADH – Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that strikes on its oil infrastructurecame from the “north” and were “unquestionably” sponsored by Iran, but thatthe kingdom was still investigating where exactly they were launched from.
“The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored byIran,” defence ministry spokesman Turki al-Maliki told a press conference.”We are working to know the exact launch point.”
However, he would not be drawn on whether Saudi Arabia believed Iran wouldultimately be found to be the culprit, only saying they were confident theywould find where the weapons were fired from.
Maliki displayed pieces of what he said were cruise missiles and dronesused in the strike, recovered from the site of Saturday’s attack in thecountry’s east.
He said a combination of 18 drones and seven cruise missiles fired at thetwo key oil installations from a direction that ruled out its southernneighbour Yemen as a source.
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He reiterated Riyadh’s position that the Iran-backed Huthi rebels inneighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is mired in a five-yearconflict, were not responsible for the assault despite claiming it.
“Despite Iran’s efforts to make it appear so” they did not originate fromYemen, he said, adding the strike was beyond the capabilities of themilitia — who have however mounted dozens of smaller attacks on Sauditerritory.
In addition, “the targeting direction indicates it came from the north,” hesaid. – APP/AFP
