Iran behind Aramco attacks, UK to work with US on response: Johnson

(File) US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrive for a bilateral meeting during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France in August 2019 | Reuters

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declared Iran was responsible for the attacks on two oil facilities of Saudi Arabia's Aramco 10 days ago. Johnson added the UK would work with “our American friends and our European friends to construct a response that tries to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf region”.

Johnson was speaking to mediapersons on Sunday night prior to his departure to New York to attend the session of the UN General Assembly. Johnson declared, “The U.K. is attributing responsibility with a very high degree of probability to Iran” for the cruise missile attacks on two Aramco facilities on September 14.

Johnson told mediapersons he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the UN General Assembly. Johnson will also hold talks with US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Johnson said he wanted Britain to be “a bridge between our European friends and the Americans when it comes to the crisis in the Gulf”.

Johnson stressed the need for a diplomatic response to the tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia and its allies, but said Britain would consider any request for military help. The US had announced last week it would deploy additional military personnel to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in a “offensive deployment”.

“We will be following that very closely. And clearly if we are asked, either by the Saudis or by the Americans, to have a role, then we will consider in what way we could be useful. We will consider in what way we could be useful, if asked, depending on what the exact plan is,” Johnson said.

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A UK official, on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that it was “implausible” Houthi rebels in Yemen had carried out the attacks on the Aramco facilities. The official said parts of cruise missiles built in Iran were found at the attack sites in Saudi Arabia. However, the official did not say whether the UK believed the attacks were launched from Iranian soil.

Iran has vehemently denied responsibility for the attacks and warned than any retaliation would lead to “all-out war”.

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