Iran Rejects US Accusations Over Saudi Oil Attacks by Summer Said and Dion Nissenbaum – Wall Street Journal
Iran denied American accusations that it was behind Saturday’s debilitating strikes on Saudi oil facilities, as Riyadh and Washington rushed to respond to attacks that could disrupt global oil markets, derail prospects of a meeting between President Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and become the spark for a broader clash with Tehran.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for drone strikes on two Saudi oil plants, but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was no evidence that the attacks emanated from Yemen. U.S. and Saudi officials are investigating whether the attacks involved cruise missiles fired from Iraq or Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday rebuffed any suggestion that it was involved. A ministry spokesman called the allegations “akin to the plots hatched by secret and intelligence services for damaging the image of a state to prepare the ground for a series of [hostile] measures in future.”
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the U.S. had failed at a “max pressure” campaign and was now focused on “max deceit.” Mr. Zarif said the U.S. should stop blaming Iran and accept the conditions demanded by Tehran to begin talks…