Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan holds a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov (unseen) after their meeting in the capital Riyadh, on March 10, 2021. (FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP)
CAIRO – Saudi Arabia will take measures to ensure global energy security and deter attacks on its oil infrastructure, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said in Riyadh on Wednesday, days after a missile and drone assault on Saudi Aramco facilities.
The attack on Sunday targeted a key crude installation of the state oil company and was claimed by Iran-backed fighters in neighboring Yemen who are battling a Saudi-led coalition. It was intercepted but represented a serious escalation, stirring regional tensions at a time when US President Joe Biden aims to re-enter nuclear diplomacy with Tehran.
The Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis for six years in a war that the United Nations says has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
“The failed attempts to target the port of Ras Tanura do not only target the security of the economy and Saudi Arabia. They target the global economy and its oil supplies and the global energy security,” Prince Faisal said at a press conference alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
“The kingdom will take necessary and deterrent measures to protect its national resources to preserve global energy security and stop the terrorist attacks to ensure stability of energy supplies and security of petroleum exports,” he said.
The international community needs to take a strong stance to prevent such attacks, Prince Faisal said. The assault on some of the world’s most protected oil infrastructure didn’t dent output, but it briefly pushed up the price of crude. Shrapnel from a missile also landed close to a residential compound for Aramco employees and their families.
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The Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis for six years in a war that the United Nations says has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
“The kingdom is committed to ending the war in Yemen through a political resolution, but on the other side of this conflict is a group driven by the extremist ideology of the Iranian regime,” Saudi ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar, said in a statement Tuesday, describing Sunday’s events as “egregious terrorist attacks.”
Also on Tuesday, the Saudi cabinet said the attacks were “terrorist attempts”, a blatant violation of international laws and norms and were also aimed at the wolrd economy, state news agency SPA reported.
The cabinet had followed up on measures to protect its national assets, “in a way that preserves global energy security and stops terrorist attacks,” SPA said, without giving further details.
READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis say fired missile at Saudi Aramco site in Jeddah
The measures aimed to ensure “the stability of energy supplies, the security of petroleum exports, and the security of maritime traffic and global trade,” it added.
The cabinet also noted a message carried by the Saudi permanent UN delegation to the Security Council, which asked the international community to assume its responsibility regarding the hostilities by the Iran-aligned Houthis and to hold those responsible accountable.
With Reuters inputs