UK says Iran with ‘very high degree of probability’ to blame for Saudi Arabia Aramco attack Prime Minister hints the UK will beef up Saudi defences

The UK could beef up its role in defending Saudi Arabia after Boris Johnson laid the blame for attack on the Aramco oil facilities squarely at the door of the Iranian government.

The Prime Minister will hold a face-to-face meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York on Tuesday to discuss the attacks on Saudi soil and he is also expected to raise the plight of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual nationals held in Tehran.

And while the Prime Minister refused to rule out military intervention when asked by journalists, it is understood the UK wants to try to “de-escalate” tensions in the region through diplomatic channels

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Drones and cruise missiles

Mr Johnson said the UK would be following “very closely” what the US decides when it comes to its response to the attack on the Aramco oil works in Khurais earlier this month, which temporarily knocked out half of the country’s oil production and sent oil prices soaring.

British security agencies have followed the US in pointing the finger at the Iranian government as being behind the attacks.

Speaking ahead of his meeting with Mr Rouhani at the UN general assembly, the Prime Minister said: “I can tell you the UK is attributing responsibility with a very high degree of probability to Iran for the Aramco attacks and we think it is highly likely indeed that Iran was responsible, using both drones and cruise missiles.

“The difficulty is how we organise a global response, what is the way forward and I will be working with our American friends, our European friends to construct a response that tries to de-escalate tensions on the Gulf region.”

Both the UK and US have stopped short of committing to retaliatory attacks against Iran, despite Donald Trump’s often bellicose rhetoric towards the regime, with the US president preferring instead to enforce sanctions.

Asked what kind of response the UK might take, Mr Johnson replied: “You will have seen what the Americans are proposing to do, with the hope of trying to defend Saudi Arabia.

‘Claim of responsibility implausible’

“We will be following that very closely, and clearly if we are asked either by the Saudis or the Americans to have a role then we will consider in what way we can be useful.”

Asked if it meant military action, he replied: “We will consider in what way we can be useful, if asked, depending on what that plan is.”

A senior UK official said the attacks were undoubtedly carried out by the Iranian government, adding: “The Houthi’s claim of responsibility is implausible, imagery of the site of the attack shows the remains of Iranian made land attack cruise missiles. And the scale, sophistication and range of the attack is inconsistent with the Houthi’s capability.

“One of the opportunities from the next few days will be working together to look for a diplomatic way forward.”