‘Saudi will respond’

Saudi Arabia will take appropriate steps to respond to an attack on its oil facilities if, as expected, a Saudi investigation confirms that Iran is responsible, a senior official said yesterday, as Iran’s top commander warned that any country that attacks the Islamic republic will become the “main battlefield”.

The comments were the latest salvos in the diplomatic crisis between Tehran and Washington after attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and US President Donald Trump’s decision to send American troops to bolster the Kingdom’s defenses.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir said the probe would prove that the September 14 strikes came from the north and that Iran bore responsibility, a charge Tehran denies. “The Kingdom will take the appropriate measures based on the results of the investigation, to ensure its security and stability,” Mr. Al Jubeir told a news conference, declining to speculate about specific actions.