U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting to “discuss fighting human trafficking on the southern border” in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, US on February 1, 2019. IMAGE: Jim Young, Reuters
President Donald Trump said on September 18 that he will increase the sanctions pressure on Iran, in what appears to be a respond to the Abqaiq–Khurais attack.
“I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
The U.S. President didn’t provide details on persons or entities that would be targeted by the new round of sanctions.
The move could be a respond to the attack on Saudi oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, which took place on September 14. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. However, U.S. officials claim that Iran was behind it.
According to reports, dozens of cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reportedly used in the attack. Aramco’s facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais suffered from severe damage as a result of the attack, which forced Saudi Arabia to lower it oil exports for several days.
Trump’s move indicates that the U.S. is determined to hold Iran accountable for the attack, despite the lack of any evidence confirming that the missiles and drones were launched from the Islamic Republic.
