TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iran has firmly denied any involvement in the bombing of the Ras Tanura oil facility in eastern Saudi Arabia on Monday, distancing itself from the strike as regional tensions continue to spiral.
In an interview with CNN, as cited by Al Bawaba, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saeed Khatibzadeh stated that Tehran was not involved in the operation. "We are not responsible for the bombing of Saudi oil fields, and we have informed our brothers in the Kingdom of that," he said, noting that Iran has clarified its stance directly to Riyadh.
The strike sparked fires and caused brief operational pauses at the site, though Saudi officials reported no fatalities and claimed the damage would be rectified swiftly. Authorities have yet to officially assign blame for the strike, which reportedly utilized unidentified drones.
This denial comes as the Middle East grapples with heightened instability following a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Saturday that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian officials.
In response, Tehran initiated "Operation True Promise 4," a retaliatory campaign aimed at US military bases, Israeli sites, and various Gulf infrastructure. While Iran has admitted to several of these strikes, including hits on energy assets in the area, it remains firm in its refusal of responsibility for the Ras Tanura incident.
Speculation has since emerged regarding the possibility of a "false flag" operation orchestrated by the US or Israel to draw Gulf nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, into a direct military confrontation with Iran.
Fuelling these theories is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meeting with Senator Lindsey Graham a week prior to the initial attacks on Iran, which was described as an attempt to "get his support."
Graham, a vocal radical Zionist and proponent of regime change in Tehran, has hinted at the necessity of broader coalition support, warning that divisions among Gulf allies could ultimately empower Iran.
While no concrete evidence supports these claims, they align with historical precedents of US strategic provocations in the region, potentially aimed at unifying allies amidst stalled diplomacy and surging oil prices.
Saudi officials have yet to publicly respond to Iran's denial. Nevertheless, the incident underscores growing fears that Riyadh could become increasingly embroiled in a widening confrontation, threatening both regional stability and the global energy market.
Read: Iran Asserts Government Remains Stable After Khamenei's Death
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