Is the US on a military collision course with Iran?

Continuing his weekly series about the complexities of the region, Ahmed Aboudouh looks at the possible US military response to oil attacks in Saudi Arabia

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo meeting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah this week (AFP/Getty)

Saudi Arabia has increased pressure on Donald Trump to take action against Iran, by presenting what it claims to be strong evidence of Iran’s alleged involvement in the attack on two strategic oil facilities in the country. A Saudi defence spokesperson confirmed at a press conference in Riyadh that 25 drones and cruise missiles were used in the attack on the Aramco facilities last Saturday. He said that drones and missiles came from the north, not from Yemen, and that it was “unquestionably sponsored by Iran”.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen responded by holding their own conference and again claimed responsibility for the attack. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed a possible coordinated response. “We are working to build a coalition to develop a plan to deter them. This is what needs to happen. This is an attack on a scale that we’ve just not seen before,” Pompeo said.

The attack, which Pompeo described as an “act of war”, prompted major speculation on Trump’s possible reaction, and whether the escalation could quickly develop into all-out war. The US announced on Friday it would send additional troops to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in response to the attack. The Pentagon said the deployment would involve a moderate number of troops and would be primarily defensive in nature.