Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The Saudi  government on Wednesday said that the attacks on its oil infrastructure were unquestionably sponsored by Iran, adding that although the strikes originated from the north, the exact launch site was yet to be ascertained.

The government also displayed what it said were fragments of the arsenal of 18 drones and seven cruise missiles which devastated two facilities in the country’s east, knocking out half the kingdom’s oil production.

“The attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran. We are working to know the exact launch point,” Saudi’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Turki al-Maliki told a press conference. 

Al-Maliki however said he could not be too sure on whether Saudi Arabia believed that Iran would ultimately be found to be the culprit, saying that they were confident they would find where the weapons were fired from.
This is even as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strikes vowed that they had the means to hit ‘dozens of targets’ in the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Russian leader, Vladimir Putin in a phone call that the kingdom wants an international investigation which would be seen as highly credible.

Meanwhile, citing an unnamed United States official, CBS News reported on Wednesday that Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approved last weekend’s attack on Saudi oil facilities.

The report came after the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who is currently in the Arabian kingdom described Saturday’s strikes as an act of war.

Without giving specifics about the US official or how they obtained the information, CBS said Khamenei approved the attack only on condition that it be carried out in a way to deny Iranian involvement.

The official was quoted as saying that the most damning evidence against Tehran were unreleased satellite photos showing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps making preparations for the attack at Iran’s Ahvaz air base.

Iranian state media however said Tehran had written to Washington through the Swiss embassy on Monday, denying any role in the attacks and warning that it would respond to any action against it.