An Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran wants to reduce tensions in the Middle East after attacks on oil sites in Saudi Arabia, but any aggression will meet a crushing response, a senior security official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

“Iran’s strategic policy is to reduce tensions... through dialogue but the country is fully prepared to surprise aggressors through a crushing and comprehensive answer to possible evil actions,” the Etemad daily newspaper quoted the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, as saying.

Saudi Arabia said it would show evidence on Wednesday linking regional rival Tehran to an attack on its oil industry that Washington believes originated from Iran. Iran denies any involvement.