US wants to avoid Iran war

♦ Seized British-flagged tanker 'free' to leave: Iran

♦ Rouhani heads to UN in bid to win Iran support

The United States said Sunday it will make its case against Iran at the United Nations this week, insisting it wants to give diplomacy "every opportunity to succeed" in the wake of a devastating attack on a vital Saudi oil complex.

Setting the stage for President Donald Trump's address to the annual UN General Assembly today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put aside threats of US military retaliation against Iran for the attack.

"President Trump and I both want to give diplomacy every opportunity to succeed," Pompeo said in an interview with ABC's "This Week."

"Our administration's taking this on in a serious way and we are working diligently to see that this has a diplomatic outcome," he said.

"But make no mistake about it, if we're unsuccessful in that and Iran continues to strike out in this way, I am confident that President Trump will make the decisions necessary to achieve our objectives."

The United States has accused Tehran of carrying out the sneak air attacks that set aflame Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq plant and the Khurais oil field September 14, knocking out half the kingdom's oil production, reported AFP.

Pompeo called it "one of the largest attacks on the global energy supply in history."

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday new US sanctions, under which Iran's central bank was blacklisted for a second time, pointed to US "desperation" in face of Iranian resistance, reported Reuters.

"Americans are sanctioning institutions that have already been blacklisted. This signals America's complete desperation and shows that it's "maximum pressure" has failed...as the great Iranian nation has resisted successfully," Rouhani said in remarks carried by state television.

Rouhani set off for New York yesterday to attend the UN General Assembly on a mission to win Iran support against "cruel" pressure from arch-foe the United States.

His departure came as Iran said an oil tanker flying the flag of US ally Britain was "free" to leave more than two months after seizing it in sensitive Gulf waters.

Speaking before flying out, Rouhani said his delegation was heading to the UN gathering despite reluctance from President Donald Trump's administration to issue them visas.