Saudi Arabia said attacks on its oil facilities, launched from the “north” and were “unquestionably” sponsored by Iran, but the kingdom was still investigating where exactly they were projected from.
Showing debris from the alleged weapons used at a press conference on Wednesday, a defense ministry spokesman said there was no way possible the attacks could have been launched from Yemen, as claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
Colonel Turki al-Malki said the recovered drone and missile debris showed “undeniable” evidence of Iranian aggression.
Al-Malki said a total of 18 drones and seven missiles were launched, referring to what he according to him, Iranian Delta Wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Saudi officials said the missile on display, appeared to have a jet engine attached to it, was a surface-strike cruise missile that failed to explode.
“The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran,” he told media. “We are working to know the exact launch point,” he added.
Al-Malki claimed the cruise missiles had a range of 700km, which means they could not be fired from Yemen’s territory. He played surveillance video showing a drone approaching from the north.
“This is the kind of weapon the Iranian regime and the Iranian IRGC are using against the civilian facilities,” he said, mentioning Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the US has already designated as a terrorist group.
However, al-Malki did not directly blame Iran for the attack when questioned by journalists. He replied once “the culprits” were definitively identified they would “be held accountable”.