Iran is to blame for the Sept. 14 drone and missile strikes on two Saudi oil facilities, said France, Britain and Germany in a joint statement on Monday at the annual United Nations gathering in New York.
“It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack,” said the statement. “There is no other plausible explanation.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is also at the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, denied Iranian responsibility for the attacks and will reportedly meet with the European leaders in the coming days, as well as with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ahead of the UNGA meeting on Sunday, the British premier had blamed Iran for the attack, that caused severe damage to Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities, while the other countries remained silent until issuing the joint statement on Monday.
Speaking to reporters accompanying him on a flight to New York on Monday, Johnson said that Britain was considering taking part in a U.S.-led military campaign and hoped to work with other “European friends” to increase defense for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the attacks.
Following Johnson’s lead, his French and German counterparts met at the United Nations to discuss their strategy on Iran, reportedly in hopes of saving the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and decreasing tensions between Tehran and Washington, which exited from the Iran nuclear accord in May 2018.
The three European leaders, who remain committed to the deal but demand full compliance by Iran, called on Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program, saying, “The time has come for Iran to accept a long-term negotiation framework for its nuclear program, as well as regional security issues, which include its missile programs.”
“We are committed to continuing our diplomatic efforts to create conditions and facilitate dialogue with all relevant partners interested in de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East,” they said.
