UAE says it will stand by Riyadh after 'unprecedented' Aramco attacks

The UAE has pledged its support to Riyadh amid the unprecedented disruption caused by attacks on Aramco oil plants, offering its ally technical and logistical assistance.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

17 September, 2019

Anwar Gargash slammed justifications for the attacks as 'unacceptable' [Getty]

The UAE has urged the international community to stand with Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of "unprecedented" attacks on oil processing plants in the kingdom.

In a tweet posted on Tuesday, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash responded to Iranian claims that the strikes were perpetrated by Yemenis.

"Justifying the unprecedented terrorist attack on Aramco facilities on the basis of developments on the Yemen war is completely unacceptable," Gargash tweeted.

On Monday, the Saudi-led military coalition said the the weapons used to strike two key Saudi oil plants on Saturday were provided by the kingdom's arch-foe Iran.

A coalition spokesman also claimed the drone strikes had not been directed from Yemen, as claimed by the Iran-linked Houthi rebels.

The strikes cut the kingdom's oil output by half and caused oil prices to rocket on Monday.

The UAE's Minister of Energy and Industry Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris al-Mazrouei on Monday pledged his country's support to help Riyadh overcome the major disruption.

"We have reached out to Saudi Arabia following the terrorist attack against two Saudi Aramco oil facilities to provide technical and logistical support. We are one team and our cooperation is continuing," al-Mazrouei in a statement to the Emirates News Agency.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed the attacks and have threatened further strikes - a claim backed by Tehran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said the attacks were carried out by "Yemeni people" retaliating for Saudi Arabia's bombardment of Yemen.

Washington, meanwhile, has said Iran was likely behind the attack, with US President Donald Trump saying "we pretty much already know" who was behind the attacks.

"With all that being said, we'd certainly like to avoid" war, he added when speaking to reporters on Monday.

"I don't want war with anybody but we're prepared more than anybody."