UN experts en route to probe Saudi oil attack: Guterres

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that experts from the international body have left for Saudi Arabia to investigate weekend drone attacks on oil facilities in the Kingdom.

The experts authorized by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) "will be doing their job according to the mandate that the Security Council has given them," Guterres told reporters at a press conference.

On Monday, Riyadh said Iranian weapons were used in the attacks, citing initial investigations, and would invite UN and international experts to view the situation on the ground.

Guterres said Saturday's attack was a "dramatic escalation" in the Gulf region.

The U.S. is increasingly pointing the finger at Iran for the attacks on Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco’s facilities in the country’s east that upended the Kingdom's oil output. The attacks have been claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels, which are supported by Tehran.

Iran, however, has denied any involvement as regional tensions soar amid speculation of reprisals from the U.S. and its allies.

"As we have seen by the immediate impact on oil markets, if there would be a major confrontation in the Gulf, it would have devastating consequences for the region and globally," said Guterres.