Published 19:10 IST, September 24th 2019
Iran vows 'destroy' attacker, as France, Germany, UK release statement
Iran's armed forces chief of staff vowed to destroy any enemy that attacked the country, saying, Saudi Arabia and its ally the UAE had "lost their way.
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Iran's armed forces chief of staff on Tuesday vowed to destroy any enemy that attacked the country, a news agency reported. "The result of any aggression will be destroyed" and "captivity", the Fars news agency reported Mohammad Bagheri as telling parliament.
Iran has "no animosity towards the countries of the region", Bagheri said, according to the agency close to the country's ultra-conservatives. But he alleged Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates had "lost their way" and were "at the source of plots against Iran."
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Tensions have soared in the Gulf since a September 14 attack on Aramco Saudi oil facilities that Washington and Riyadh have blamed on Iran, which denies involvement.
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In the wake of the attack that slashed Saudi oil output by half, the United States said it had ordered reinforcements to the region.
US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani are both to address the UN General Assembly in New York this week. But no encounter has so far been planned between the two leaders, Trump said late Monday.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif last week warned that any American or Saudi military strike on Iran would trigger "all-out war". He said his country did not want conflict, but Tehran would not hesitate to defend its territory.
UK, France, And Germany blame Iran
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom jointly issued a statement on Tuesday accusing Iran of the attacks on Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil facilities. “It is clear to us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation. We support ongoing investigations to establish further details,” read the statement.
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However, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denying claims said, “If Iran were behind this attack, nothing would have been left of this refinery.”
Saudi Arabia will be 'destroyed'
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Saudi Arabia against wagering a war against Iran, saying that the Kingdom would be 'destroyed.'
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group called Saudi Arabia to stop its bloody war in Yemen or else face more attacks on its soil. He said that Saudi Arabia should think well, as a "war with Iran will mean their destruction." He demanded UAE and Saudi Arabia to not incite war, saying that their 'It will destroy you. Your houses are made of glass.'
(With PTI inputs)
18:48 IST, September 24th 2019