Iran's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, has denied that Tehran is responsible for recent attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure, stating that if Iran were behind the strikes, it would have publicly announced them. Enayati did not suggest who carried out the attacks but added that Iran is only targeting United States and Israeli military assets and interests during the ongoing conflict, as reported by Reuters.
Following US and Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February, Tehran retaliated against US and Israeli military targets, including in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Last week, the Ras Tanura oil refinery was forced to halt operations after debris from a drone caused a minor fire, and attempted attacks were reported on the Shaybah oilfield near the UAE border.
Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry has not yet blamed anyone for the attacks. Enayati claimed he is in direct contact with Saudi officials, noting that relations are "progressing naturally" in many areas. He mentioned discussions included Saudi Arabia's publicly stated position that its territory would not be used to target Iran, though he did not elaborate.
Iran and Saudi Arabia re-established diplomatic relations in 2023 in a China-brokered deal, marking a new chapter between the two sides that had backed rival groups across the region. Enayati reiterated to Gulf states that the war "has been imposed on us and the region" after coordinated US and Israeli attacks, and called for deeper ties among the Gulf Cooperation Council's six members, Iraq, and Iran.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also denied that his country is targeting civilian or residential areas in the Middle East and said Tehran is ready to form a committee with neighbors to investigate responsibility for such strikes. Regional sources report growing frustration at the United States for dragging countries into a war they did not sign up for, despite strong condemnations of Iran's missile and drone attacks by all targeted nations.
Source: www.aljazeera.com