- Title: US probe of Saudi oil attack points to Iran - report
- Date: 19th December 2019
- Summary: KHURAIS, SAUDI ARABIA (FILE - OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAMAGED OIL STABILIZATION TOWER AT OIL PRODUCING PLANT IN KHURAIS VARIOUS OF WORKERS NEAR OIL STABILIZATION TOWER SAUDI ARAMCO LOGO JOURNALISTS INSPECTING DAMAGED PIECES OF PIPELINES VARIOUS OF DAMAGED PIPELINE VARIOUS OF SECURITY TAPE IN FRONT OF DAMAGED TOWER ABQAIQ, SAUDI ARABIA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAMAGED FACILITIES AT ABQAIQ OIL PRODUCING PLANT UNDER RECONSTRUCTION VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT DAMAGED FACILITIES UNDER RECONSTRUCTION SPHEROIDS UNDER RECONSTRUCTION HOLE IN METAL TANK
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2020 23:53
- Keywords: Iran blamed US report shows attack came from north drone attack saudi oil facilities
- Location: ABQAIQ, KHURAIS AND RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
- City: ABQAIQ, KHURAIS AND RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAS4VGN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United States said new evidence and analysis of weapons debris recovered from an attack on Saudi oil facilities on Sept. 14 indicates the strike likely came from the north, reinforcing its earlier assessment that Iran was behind the offensive.
In an interim report of its investigation - seen by Reuters ahead of a presentation on Thursday (December 19) to the United Nations Security Council - Washington assessed that before hitting its targets, one of the drones traversed a location approximately 200 km (124 miles) to the northwest of the attack site.
"This, in combination with the assessed 900 kilometer maximum range of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), indicates with high likelihood that the attack originated north of Abqaiq," the interim report said, referring to the location of one of the Saudi oil facilities that were hit.
It added the United States had identified several similarities between the drones used in the raid and an Iranian designed and produced unmanned aircraft known as the IRN-05 UAV.
However, the report noted that the analysis of the weapons debris did not definitely reveal the origin of the strike that initially knocked out half of Saudi Arabia's oil production.
The United States, European powers and Saudi Arabia blamed the Sept. 14 attack on Iran. Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Iran, which supports the Houthis, denied any involvement. Yemen is south of Saudi Arabia.
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