Washington– U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Saudi Arabia today to coordinate the response to attacks on Saudi refineries, while the White House has promised that it will take “any necessary action” to defend its interests and those of their allies.” The secretary of state will travel to Saudi Arabia today to discuss our response, ” us announced US Vice President Mike Pence during a speech at the Heritage Foundation conservative study center in Washington.
Pence said the intelligence community continues to “work diligently to review the evidence” of whether Iran was behind the attack, and that US President Donald Trump will “determine in the coming days the right steps” that he must take his country.” But the United States will take whatever action is necessary to defend our country, our troops, and our allies in the (Persian) Gulf. You can count on it,” Pence stressed.” We are loaded and ready, and we are prepared to defend our interests and our allies in the region. Don’t let anyone get confused,” he added.
Storage tanks are seen in the North Jiddah bulk plant. Photo: AP
The vice president used the same phrase – “loaded and clever” that Trump used on Sunday and which in English refers to firearms, which has sparked speculation about a possible military response from the country.
Our maximum pressure campaign against Iran is working. If Iran carried out this attack to pressure President Trump to relax (the pressure), they will fail, Pence warned.
This Saturday, two refineries of Saudi state oil company Aramco, key to the global crude oil supply, were attacked with ten drones, causing a reduction of about 50% of their production. The action was vindicated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, supported by Tehran, but the coalition of states against them led by Saudi Arabia rejected that idea and, in its first assessment, on Monday, said the weapons used were Iranian. However, Saudi Arabia has not directly accused Iran of launching the attack, and on Monday it was cautious pending the results of an investigation.
Refineries in Saudi Arabia. Photo: AP
Instead, Pompeo did directly hold the Islamic Republic directly accountable on Saturday, and assured that there was “no evidence” that the attacks came from Yemen.Trump, while he has avoided definitively pointing to Iran and merely stating that “it seems so,” and this Monday assured that his country does not want a war with Tehran, although it is “prepared” if that is necessary.
