Iran responsible for Aramco attack, says Saudi official

By Mehmet Nuri Ucar and Idris Okuducu

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AA) – Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on Saturday said Iran is responsible for Aramco attacks.

“We are confident that the missiles targeting Aramco come from the north, not Yemen. Saudi Arabia is trying to locate the point where the missiles are fired,” Adel al-Jubeir said in a press conference.

“The attack on the facilities of the Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco was carried out with Iranian weapons. That is why we hold Tehran responsible for the attack,” he added.

Drones hit two Aramco units in the north of Saudi Arabia in an attack claimed by Houthi rebels in Yemen in Sept. 14.

Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Thousands of Yemenis were killed and the country was pushed to the brink of famine.

In recent months, Houthis, whose mid and long-range ballistic missiles are usually intercepted by Saudi air defense systems, have targeted certain strategic parts of Saudi Arabia with armed drones.

* Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak