Iran has warned U.S. it will retaliate “immediately” if Tehran is targeted over a weekend attack on Saudi oil installations, its state-run news ncy reported on September 18, furr raising Mideast tensions. Iran’s president and foreign minister also may t be able to attend next week’s high-level meetings at United Nations as U.S. has yet to issue m visas, IRNA reported. U.N. meeting h been considered as an opportunity for direct talks between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and President Donald Trump amid a summer of heightened tensions and attacks in wake of America’s unilateral withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers a year ago. However, such talks are increasingly unlikely in wake of recent attack in Saudi Arabia, U.S. accusations that Tehran was behind it and hardening comments from Iran. Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed attack in response to Saudi-led war in Yemen, which has sparked world’s worst humanitarian crisis and killed tens of thousands of people.

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Iran sent a te through Swiss diplomats

Iran sent a te through Swiss diplomats in Tehran on Monday, reiterating that Tehran denies being involved in Saudi attack, IRNA reported. Swiss have looked after American interests in Tehran for deces.“If any action takes place against Iran, action will be faced by Iran’s answer immediately,” IRNA quoted te as saying. It ded that Iran’s response wouldn’t be limited to source of threat, suggesting it would inflict dam beyond what it h suffered.IRNA separately reported Wednesday that Iran’s first delegation for annual U.N. event h t left Iran due to t having visas. Foreign Minister Mohamm Jav Zarif was to travel to New York on Friday, with Rouhani following Monday, according to ncy.

As host of U.N.’s hequarters, U.S. is mandated to offer world leers and diplomats visas to attend meetings re. But as tensions have risen, U.S. has put increasing restrictions on Iranians like Zarif. Since becoming Iran’s president in 2013, Rouhani has spoken each year at General Assembly. U.S. State Department did t respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Trump separately tweeted: “I have just instructed Secretary of Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on country of Iran!” He did t elaborate, and Treasury officials could t immediately be reached. Trump’s National Security Council said it h comment beyond president’s tweet.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is traveling to Saudi Arabia for meetings after Saturday’s attack, which hit a Saudi oil field and world’s largest crude oil processing plant. Saudi military planned to speak to journalists Wednesday in Riyh to discuss ir investigation “and present material evidence and Iranian weapons proving Iranian regime’s involvement.”

“Almost certainly it’s Iranian-backed,” Prince Khalid bin Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassor to United Kingdom, told BBC. “We are trying t to react too quickly because last thing we need is more conflict in region.”Meanwhile, state-run Saudi Press ncy carried a statement Wednesday saying kingdom h joined a U.S.-led naval coalition to secure Mideast’s waterways. Australia, Bahrain, and United Kingdom alrey have joined mission. Cmdr. Joshua Frey, a spokesman for U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, declined to comment on Saudi anuncement, saying it “would be inappropriate to comment on status of individual nations and nature of any potential support.”

coalition aims to secure broer Persian Gulf region. It includes surveillance of Strait of Hormuz, narrow mouth of Persian Gulf through which a fifth of world’s oil travels, and Bab el-Mandeb, ar narrow strait that connects Red Sea and Gulf of en off Yemen and East Africa. U.S. blames Iran for apparent limpet mine explosions on four vessels in May and ar two in June sailing in Gulf of Oman near Strait of Hormuz, something Iran denies being behind. Iran also seized a British-flagged oil tanker and ar based in United Arab Emirates after British seized a tanker carrying Iranian oil. In Tehran, Rouhani told his Cabinet that Saudi Arabia should see weekend attack as a warning to end its war in Yemen, where it has fought Houthi rebels since 2015 and sought to restore internationally recognized government.

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President Rouhani: Iran does t want conflict in region

Rouhani said Yemenis “did t hit hospitals, y did t hit schools or Sanaa bazaar,” referring to Saudi-led coalition’s widely criticized airstrikes on civilian targets. He ded that Iran does t want conflict in region, but it was Saudi-led coalition that “wd war in region and ruined Yemen.” Saying Houthis were responsible for drone strikes, he said: “y attacked an industrial center to warn you. Learn lesson from warning.” Iran’s defense minister, Gen. Amir Hatami, also denied his country launched attack, saying Houthis h capability to launch assault. Wednesday’s anuncements come after Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said late Tuesday that more than half of country’s daily crude oil production that was kcked out by an attack h been recovered. He said production capacity at targeted plants would be fully restored by end of month, in part by drawing from Saudi reserves of crude oil.

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Pompeo was due to land in Red Sea city of Jiddah, where he was scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pompeo will later travel to United Arab Emirates on Thursday to meet with Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both nations are U.S. allies and have been fighting against Houthis in Yemen.Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that U.S. military experts were in Saudi Arabia working with ir counterparts to “do forensics on attack” — gleaning evidence that could help build a convincing case for where weapons originated. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office anunced experts from his nation would be traveling to Saudi Arabia to help kingdom shed light “on origin and methods” of attacks. France has been trying to find a diplomatic solution to tensions between Iran and U.S., so any conclusion y draw could be used as a third-party assessment of what happened.

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