E3’s Claims About Raids on Saudi Oil Sites ’Destructive, Provocative’ – Iran’s Foreign Ministry

By Staff, Agencies

Tehran strongly condemned what it referred to as “destructive” and “provocative” claims made by Britain, France and Germany about Iranian involvement in Yemen’s retaliatory drone operations on Saudi oil installations, warning that the trio will be responsible for the consequences of such “irresponsible” statements.

In a statement on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it is “highly destructive and provocative” in itself to hold a third government responsible for an attack that was carried out during an all-out war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, while the latter has claimed responsibility, let alone rushing to conclusions without any probe and only based on “a ridiculous rationale.”

The ministry added that such remarks and measures would only fuel the flames of the Yemen war and may lead to its expansion.

It further slammed the three European states — known as E3 — for leveling unreal accusations against other countries with politically-motivated purposes while fully supporting Saudi Arabia, particularly through exporting huge amounts of arms to the child-killer regime, stressing that this is a “dangerous trend” and trio would be liable for the consequences that their statement can have for regional peace and security.

On September 14, Yemen’s Ansarullah revolutionary movement and its allies in the Yemeni army deployed as many as 10 drones to bomb Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities run by the Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco.

The unprecedented operation knocked out more than half of Saudi crude output, or five percent of global supply, prompting Saudi and US officials to claim without any evidence that it probably originated from Iraq or Iran.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have, to various degrees, blamed Tehran for the attack on Aramco installations.

Tehran, however, has rejected the allegations, saying Washington seems to be shifting from a failed campaign of “maximum pressure” to one of “maximum lying” and “deceit” against the Islamic Republic.

In a joint statement on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined the US and Saudi Arabia in pinning the blame for the attack on Iran.

The three countries — which remain party to a 2015 nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic despite the US unilateral withdrawal last year — urged Iran to engage in dialog and “refrain from choosing provocation and escalation.”