Investigations indicate weapons in Aramco attacks are Iranian: Arab coalition

Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen said on Monday that investigations indicated that the weapons used in the two Saudi Aramco attacks are Iranian.

Smoke billows from an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq about 60km southwest of Dhahran in Saudi Arabia's eastern province on September 14, 2019. [Photo: AFP]

The coalition spokesperson Turki Al Maliki told reporters in Riyadh that the continuing investigations indicate that weapons used in both attacks came from Iran, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television reported on Monday.

The spokesperson said that the results of the investigation would be made public when complete, adding that the coalition has the ability to confront the attacks and defend vital oil facilities.

Saudi interior minister announced on Saturday that the drone attacks caused fire at two oil facilities of Saudi petroleum company Aramco.

The attacks were reported at dawn of Saturday with several explosions in Saudi Aramco plants in Khurais and Abqaiq east the country.

Yemen's Houthis on Saturday claimed responsibility for drone attacks on these two Aramco oil plants in the east of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi energy minister announced on Sunday that "the drone terrorist attacks caused temporary suspension of production at targeted oil plants," which led to the interruption of a quantity of crude oil supplies estimated at 5.7 million barrels, or about 50 percent of the company's production.

Saudi Arabia has been targeted in the past years with drone and missile attacks by Houthi militia. Most of those attacks were foiled before reaching their target, while some succeeded in causing limited fires in oil facilities without affecting the oil production of the kingdom.