The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed his thanks and appreciation to the leaders of brotherly and friendly countries, officials of countries and regional and international organizations, and all those who expressed condemnation of the sabotage attack, which targeted two Aramco factories in Abqaiq and Khurais immigration. Reaffirming the Kingdom's ability to deal with the effects of such cowardly attacks, which not only target vital installations of the Kingdom, but also target global oil supplies and threaten the stability of the world economy. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US military stands ready to defend the interests of the United States and its allies in the Middle East, US Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday.
His remarks came during his presidency of the meeting held by the Saudi Council of Ministers, yesterday.
Saudi Information Minister Turki bin Abdullah al-Shabana said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the cabinet reaffirmed that the aim of this unprecedented sabotage aggression, which threatens international peace and security, is primarily directed at global energy supplies and that it is an extension of previous acts of aggression. Saudi Aramco's pumping stations have been hit by Iranian weapons, and he called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in condemning those behind it, and to clearly counter these barbaric acts that touch the nerve of the global economy.
The Cabinet was briefed by the Minister of Energy on the serious effects of the blatant attack on the Saudi Aramco oil plants in Abqaiq and Khurais, which, according to preliminary estimates, resulted in the suspension of quantities of crude oil supplies, estimated at 5.7 million barrels. In addition, production of associated gases estimated at about 2 billion cubic feet per day has been discontinued and about 50% of the supply of ethane and natural gas liquids has been reduced.
The Council asserted that this cowardly attack on the largest and most important crude oil processing plants in the world, is an extension of the repeated attacks on vital facilities, and threatened freedom of shipping, and affected the stability of the growth of the global economy. The Council also affirmed that the Kingdom will defend its vital lands and facilities and that it will be able to respond to those acts from any source. It calls upon the international community to take stricter measures to stop these blatant attacks, which threaten the region, the security of oil supplies and the world economy, and to hold accountable and deter those behind them. .
In Washington, a spokesman for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that she asked the intelligence to provide a statement to all members of the House, about the attacks on the two oil facilities of Saudi Aramco.
Pelosi asked for intelligence briefings after Saturday's drone attack on Aramco's facilities pushed up oil prices and raised fears of a new Middle East conflict.
Mike Pence said yesterday that the US military is ready, after the attacks on two Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
In a speech at the Heritage Institute, he said the United States was evaluating evidence of the attacks, adding that it stood ready to defend its interests and allies in the Middle East.
Pence stressed that if Iran carried out last Saturday's attacks to pressure President Donald Trump to back down on its sanctions regime, "it will fail."
The CNN network revealed yesterday new details about the terrorist attack, noting that the source of the attack was an Iranian base close to Iraq.
The source added that some of the missiles failed to hit their targets, and landed in the desert before reaching their destination, and said that «there is no indication at all that these missiles came from southern Saudi Arabia, especially Yemen».
The source, cited by CNN, said there was a high probability that the attack on Aramco's factories was carried out by cruise missiles, which flew at low altitude, backed by drones, from an Iranian base near the border with Iraq.
In London, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said the latter agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, yesterday, the need to work with international partners to formulate a collective response to the attack.
In Kuwait, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Acting Minister of Defense, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid, stressed «the need to exercise the utmost caution and vigilance, and readiness to face any events that lead to destabilization of security and stability in the country and the region», calling on the leaders and men of the armed forces «double effort and watch To defend the country from any potential dangers. ”
This came during a meeting with Khalid, yesterday, in the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Khalid Jarallah, leaders of a number of sectors of the armed forces headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Khader, and Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nawaf.
The meeting reviewed the current situation and developments, and its dangerous repercussions on the region and the region, and reiterated the State of Kuwait's condemnation and condemnation of the attack on oil installations in Abqaiq and Khurais immigration in Saudi Arabia, and the solidarity of the State of Kuwait with the Kingdom, and stand with them against anything that affects its security, stability and the safety of its people.
In Baghdad, the former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, yesterday, Iran to indicate its clear and explicit position on the charges against it in the incident of the attack on Saudi oil installations.
Allawi said in a press statement: «We have previously warned, and today warn that the use of wars and battles, directly or by proxy, will lead to the worsening of the situation and complicate the situation, so we call on Iran and other countries that interfere in the affairs of other countries, to stop this interference, And resort to dialogue ».