Attacks on Gulf oil facilities must be met with 'strength and firmness': Saudi foreign minister

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that attacks on Gulf oil facilities must be addressed with “strength and firmness” and that more efforts were needed to combat the activities of the groups that carried them out.

“We emphasize the need to exert more efforts to combat the subversive activities of extremist and terrorist groups,” Ebrahim Al Assaf told a meeting of foreign ministers ahead of emergency summits of Gulf and Arab leaders to discuss the attacks.

“They must be addressed with all strength and firmness,” he said. He was referring to an attack on oil tankers off the UAE this month and drone strikes two days later on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia.

Al Assaf also called on Islamic nations to reject Iran’s “interference” in the affairs of other countries.

“Tehran’s support for Houthi rebels in Yemen is proof of Iranian interference in other nations’ affairs and this is something that... Islamic countries should reject,” her said.