Two Aramco oil facilities, including the world’s biggest processing plant in Abqaiq, were attacked by drones and missiles, knocking out half the Gulf kingdom’s oil capacity, upsetting world markets and raising fears of open conflict.
US President Donald Trump fired back by imposing further sanctions on Iran’s already squeezed economy – a far more restrained response than many feared.
The attack demonstrated the weaknesses of Saudi air defenses and missile capabilities and the vulnerability of the world oil market to regional tensions.
On Thursday, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced it will supply Riyadh with additional support.
DoD spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said “in light of recent attacks” on Saudi state oil facilities, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper has announced the deployment of new weapons and personnel to its regional ally Saudi Arabia.
One Patriot battery, four Sentinel radars, and approximately 200 US support personnel will be deployed to the kingdom, Hoffman said in a statement.
“This deployment will augment the kingdom’s air and missile defense of critical military and civilian infrastructure. This deployment augments an already significant presence of US forces in the region.”
Two more Patriot batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) are on “Prepare to Deploy Orders” – readied in case of further escalations.
“It is important to note these steps are a demonstration of our commitment to regional partners, and the security and stability in the Middle East,” Hoffman said.
“Other countries have called out Iranian misadventures in the region, and we look for them to contribute assets in an international effort to reinforce Saudi Arabia’s defense,” he added.
Saudi Arabia, the US, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have all accused Iran of sponsoring the attack, which was initially claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who have fought the Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
The Saudis concluded Iranian weapons had been used in the attack and that the drones and missiles had been launched from the north – not from Yemen to the south – possibly from Iran or even Iraq. It could not pinpoint the precise launch site, however.
Iran has vehemently denied involvement in the attack. Its president, Hassan Rouhani, repeated Tehran’s stance at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
“I told them if you have documents [proving Iran’s involvement], you can send them to me,” Rouhani told a press conference, referring to his talks with European officials. “Why should we answer for the attack that Yemen has carried out?”
“When the Yemenis are attacked, they have a legitimate right to defend themselves. Those who make baseless claims should present documents,” he added.
Iraq has also denied its territory was used by Iran-backed militias to launch the attack.
Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Iraq’s prime minister, was in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss trade and regional security with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In a National Security Council meeting on Thursday, the Iraqi PM said his government would never allow Iraqi soil to be used to attack its neighbors.
Abdul-Mahdi said he made the one-day trip to “reassure the Saudi side that any aggression against any country using Iraqi soil or airspace is unacceptable”.
Tensions have been rising in the Persian Gulf since the US withdrew from the 2015 Join Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – also known as the Iran nuclear deal – in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and several top regime officials.
Trump said the Obama-era deal did not prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon or its ballistic missile technology.
Tehran has responded by boosting its nuclear program and harassing ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where the majority of the world’s seaborne oil is transported.
