USA Condemns Attacks Reportedly Targeting Saudi Oil Site

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has announced that the U.S. condemns the Houthi attacks over the weekend against civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

“These attacks reportedly targeted water treatment facilities as well as oil and natural gas infrastructure,” Sullivan said in a statement posted on the White House website.

“The Houthis launch these terrorist attacks with enabling by Iran, which supplies them with missile and UAV components, training, and expertise. This is done in violation of UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting the import of weapons into Yemen,” Sullivan added in the statement.

“Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Government have endorsed multiple UN calls for ceasefires and de-escalation over the last year. The Houthis have rejected these calls, responding instead with new offensives in Yemen and terrorist acts, such as those launched against Saudi Arabia … It is time to bring this war to a close, but that can only happen if the Houthis agree to cooperate with the United Nations and its envoy working on a step-by-step a process to de-escalate the conflict,” Sullivan went on to say.

Sullivan noted that the U.S. stands fully behind those efforts, adding that the country “will continue to fully support our partners in the defense of their territory from Houthi attacks”.

“We call on the international community to do the same,” Sullivan said.

Rigzone has asked Saudi Aramco for comment regarding the attacks but has not yet received a reply at the time of writing.

Earlier this month, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price announced that the U.S. strongly condemned missile strikes on Erbil, Iraq, on March 12 “that emanated from Iran”.

“The strikes were an outrageous violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. No U.S. facilities were damaged or personnel injured, and we have no indications the attack was directed at the United States,” Price said in a government statement.

“Iran must immediately cease its attacks, respect Iraqi sovereignty, and halt its interference in Iraq’s internal affairs. The United States stands with our Iraqi partners, including in the Kurdistan Region, and will help our partners in the region defend themselves,” Price added in the statement.

In September 2019, Saudi Aramco revealed that fires had occurred at the company’s plants in Abqaiq and Khurais as a result of “terrorist attacks with projectiles”. The attacks led to a production suspension of 5.7 million barrels of crude oil per day, Aramco highlighted at the time.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com