Reports suggest that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approved the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure on September 14. An anonymous US official gave the information while speaking to a news agency. The report stated that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is behind the attack and he gave his approval for it if it's carried out in a way so that claims of involvement of Iran are easily rejected. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while flying to Saudi Arabia spoke on the matter calling it an 'act of war'. Mike Pompeo met the crown prince of Saudi Arabia on September 18. 

READ: Iran Warns US Of Response To Any Action Over Saudi Attack

Unnamed officials reveal details

The unnamed US officials said that the 'most damning evidence' present against the Iranians is the unreleased satellite images that show the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing for the strike at Ahvaz airbase of Iran. He added that it was later that they released the significance of those pictures. The agency quoted the US official saying, "We were caught completely off guard,".The US and Saudi Arabia officials believe that there is an Iranian involvement in the attack. Saudi too earlier said that they know who sponsored the attack as the strike came from the north direction where Iran is. Saudi also said they are investigating the matter properly to know the exact location of the launchpad. 

READ: Saudi Arabia: Half Of Daily Production Recovered Post-attack

Tensions between the US and Iran

The local media of Iran said that Tehran wrote to Washington with the help of the Swiss embassy on September 16 where it denied any involvement in the strike. It also warned that it would react if there is any action taken against it. Yemen's Huthi rebels supported by Tehran took responsibility for the attacks which was denied by Riyadh and Washington. A US official while speaking to a news agency said that the US administration came to a conclusion that the attack involved missiles that came from Iran and they will present the evidence in the UN General Assembly. The US Vice President while repeating what US President Donald Trump said, "we don't want war with anybody, but the United States is prepared." President Trump in 2018, backed off from a hard-won deal between Tehran and international powers which led to a freeze in Iran's nuclear program in return of lifting of sanctions. Washington again imposed crippling economic penalties that included Iran's vital oil sector and Tehran backing off from the deal.  

(With inputs from PTI)

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