Iran Press/Middle East: The UN “is unable to independently corroborate that the cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles used in these attacks are of Iranian origin and were transferred in a manner inconsistent with UN resolutions," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in his semi-annual Iran report to the UN security council.
According to Reuters, the UN report said investigators were able to examine the debris of the weapon systems used in the attacks on an oil facility in May, on the Abha international airport over the summer and on the Saudi Aramco facilities in September.
It added that the UN is “still collecting and analyzing additional information on these cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles” and will report additional findings in “due course.”
But after months of inquiry, the UN has thus far stopped short of backing assertions made by the US and Saudi Arabia.
In September, Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry claimed the attacks were “unquestionably sponsored by Iran,” adding that an assessment of the parts of drones and missiles recovered indicate Iranian origin. The Saudi defense ministry displayed pieces of what it said was the weaponry involved.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo also blamed Iran, which has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.
In response to invitations from Saudi Arabia, members of the UN traveled to Riyadh in September and November to examine the issue. The attacks exposed glaring vulnerabilities in Saudi Arabia’s defense capabilities despite having spent hundreds of billions of dollars on weaponry in recent years.
The attacks also raised questions about Saudi Arabia’s role as an anchor of stability in global energy markets. 101/211
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