Saudi oil attack: Pompeo arrives in UAE for discussion

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the UAE on Thursday to discuss the latest attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Pompeo is scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for talks on the regional situation.

The meeting comes just days after the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil production facility that the United States says originated from Iran despite rebels in Yemen claiming responsibility.

Mr Pompeo has called the attacks “an act of war”.

The US official’s trip to Abu Dhabi follows a visit to Saudi Arabia where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday to discuss “the unprecedented attacks against Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure”.

“The US stands with Saudi Arabia and supports its right to defend itself. The Iranian regime’s threatening behaviour will not be tolerated,” Mr Pompeo said on Twitter.

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday displayed the remnants of the rockets and drones that it said were used in the attack the Abqaiq oil processing facility. The Saudi defence ministry blamed Tehran but stopped short of saying that the attack was launched from Iranian territory.

Ministry spokesman Col Turki Al Malki said the country was still working to identify the precise launch point of attack, but said the weapons were of Iranian origin.

He said that the attack carried out using with a mix of cruise missiles, manufactured in Iran in 2019, and delta wing drones that also belonged to the Iranian military.

The Saudi official said all the evidence would be shared with the UN and the kingdom’s allies.