Tensions continue between Saudi Arabia and Iran after the recent attack on Saudi oil facilities. And U.S. President Trump has hit Iran with new sanctions.
Following last Saturday’s drone attack on two major Saudi Arabian oil facilities, tensions have flared all week.
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. blamed Iran for the attacks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accusing Tehran of carrying out an “act of war.”
Iran has denied involvement while Yemen’s Houthi rebels have taken responsibility for the drone strikes.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned that any attack against his country by the U.S. or Saudi Arabia would result in “an all-out war.” And, Friday there was more fallout with the U.S. president announcing new sanctions against Iran.
To discuss:
- Ahmed Al-Ibrahim is a Saudi political and security analyst.
- Seyed Hossein Mousavian is a former Iranian ambassador and nuclear policy expert
- Sama’a Al-Hamdani is a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute.
- Jonathan Broder writes about U.S. defense and foreign policy for Newsweek.
For more:
Citing Khashoggi’s killing, Pelosi says U.S. should not bomb Iran at Saudis’ behest https://t.co/9BEWUiLLyM
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 20, 2019
"While the real damage is yet to be fully assessed and understood, the attack exposed Saudi political – and above all – military vulnerabilities"https://t.co/J97hhQOj17
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 20, 2019
President Trump has announced a new round of sanctions against the Iranian national bank, escalating economic pressure on Iran, which the U.S. has accused of attacking Saudi oil facilitieshttps://t.co/FdSuzbTyKo
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 20, 2019