Britain believes that Iran is responsible for the Sept. 14 attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and will work on a joint reaction with the United States and its European allies, Boris Johnson said on Monday.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have already blamed Iran for the attack, which halved Saudi oil company Aramco’s oil production. The Yemeni Houthi rebels, affiliated with Iran, have claimed responsibility.
The United Kingdom attributes to Iran with a very high degree of probability responsibility for the attacks on Aramco. We believe that it is very likely that Iran is indeed responsible , said the British Prime Minister to the journalists on his plane to the UN General Assembly in New York.
We will work with our American friends and our European friends to develop a reaction that tries to relieve the tension in the Gulf region.
Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister
A British official described the Houthi claim as “implausible” given the scale and sophistication of the attack.
It is unlikely that this has been authorized by the Iranian government, said the official.
Asked about a possible military intervention, Boris Johnson said he would examine in detail an American proposal to become more involved in the defense of Saudi Arabia.
It is obvious that if we are asked, whether it is the Saudis or the Americans, to play a role then we will think about how we can be useful , he said.
Boris Johnson said he will discuss Iran’s role in the region during his meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rohani at the UN General Assembly.
