Iran’s foreign minister has warned that any attack on his country after a series of missile strikes on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry would result in “all-out war”.

Javad Zarif also demanded that Riyadh hand over the evidence that it claimed proved the attack came from Iran, and not from Houthi-occupied Yemen.

His remarks came as the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, became the first prominent European politician to suggest it was “not very credible” that the attack was mounted by the Houthis, as the rebels engaged in the civil war in Yemen have claimed.

France has sent intelligence analysts to examine – alongside UN experts – the Saudi claims that the attack came from the north using technology and weaponry only available to Iran.

Zarif’s threat of conflict in an interview with CNN appeared to be in response to the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who referred to the attack as an “act of war”.

“I make a very serious statement about defending our country,” Zarif said. “I am making a very serious statement that we don’t want to engage in a military confrontation.”

According to CNN, Zarif was unable to provide proof that Houthis launched the drones and missiles. “I cannot have any confidence that they did it because we just heard their statement,” he said. “I know that we didn’t do it. I know that the Houthis made a statement that they did it.”

Zarif continued: “If they [the US] lift the sanctions that they re-imposed illegally then that’s a different situation, then we would consider [talks].”

Pompeo, speaking to reporters accompanying him on his trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, insisted: “This was an Iranian attack. It’s not the case that you can subcontract out the devastation of 5% of the world’s global energy supply and think that you can absolve yourself from responsibility.

“Were it the case that the Houthis’ fraudulent claim was accurate, were that true – it’s not, but were that true – it doesn’t change the fingerprints of the ayatollah as having put at risk the global energy supply.”

Pompeo met the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in Jeddah to discuss an international response to Saturday’s attack. Saudi Arabia is looking for an international coalition to challenge Iran, and is reluctant to act alone, or only in concert with its key Gulf allies.

The US is also discussing how to improve its Patriot missile defence system, which failed to prevent the mix of cruise and drone missiles reaching its target.

In remarks to the press on his way home, Pompeo remarked of his trip to the Middle East: “I was here in an act of diplomacy. While the foreign minister of Iran is threatening all-out war and to fight to the last American, we’re here to build out a coalition aimed at achieving peace and a peaceful resolution to this.”

Donald Trump, no longer dependent on Gulf oil imports and averse to Middle East wars, has been non-committal on whether he would order US military retaliation. So far he has focused on increasing the already onerous financial sanctions on Tehran over the attack. He has claimed there is plenty of time to undertake “dastardly acts” against Iran.

The chief diplomatic option would be for the main European powers to put the Iran nuclear deal into review, a precursor to pulling out. The US controversially pulled out of the deal last year.

The US is also considering to provide visas for Zarif and the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.

Pompeo left Jeddah on Thursday heading to the UAE to meet Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The UAE is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, but has started to withdraw its troops from the war in Yemen against the Houthis.

The UAE announced on Thursday that it had joined the US-led coalition to protect waterways across the Middle East after the attack on Saudi oil installations.

Saudi Arabia joined the coalition on Wednesday; Australia, Bahrain and the UK also are taking part. But Iraq, with close political and religious ties to Iran, announced it would not join because it was a matter for Gulf states.