Tension high after UN failure
Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated yesterday as Washington deployed more troops to the Gulf and Tehran challenged its arch-enemy to provide evidence it attacked Saudi oil facilities.
The Pentagon announced it was sending 200 troops with Patriot missiles to bolster Saudi Arabia's defenses following the strikes this month that knocked out half of the Kingdom's oil production. The US Defense Department said the troop deployment would involve one battery of surface-to-air missiles, along with four Sentinel radars used for air and missile defense systems.
After a week of diplomacy at the United Nations where European leaders unsuccessfully tried to arrange a US-Iran meeting, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani demanded that Washington back up its accusations that Iran was behind the attacks.
"Those who make the allegations must provide the needed proof. What is your evidence?" he told reporters.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have soared since President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 international deal that was meant to lift sanctions in exchange for a commitment from Tehran that it would cease trying to develop nuclear weapons.
The US, France, Germany, UK and Saudi Arabia have all, to varying degrees, blamed Iran for the brazen September 14 air strikes on the kingdom's Abqaiq plant and Khurais oil field.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States shared evidence on the attacks with other countries during the UN General Assembly.
Tehran has blasted the allegations as "ridiculous." It denies responsibility, and the attacks have been claimed by Yemen's Iranian-backed Huthi rebels.
In its latest move to ratchet up pressure, the United States banned senior Iranian regime figures and their families from entering the United States. It came 24 hours after Washington announced it would punish Chinese companies that bought Iranian oil, on the last official day of Trump's participation at the UN General Assembly.
Meanwhile, the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which had been held off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas for more than two months, set sail yesterday, the provincial maritime organisation said.
The ship's seizure was widely seen as a tit-for-tat move after authorities in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar detained an Iranian tanker on suspicion it was shipping oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
The tanker is expected to head the United Arab Emirates.
Rouhani yesterday said that Iran's abidance by nuclear inspections proves it does not seek to develop atomic weapons despite having scaled back its compliance with a 2015 accord.
His comment came a day after UN's nuclear watchdog confirmed that Iran has started using advanced models of centrifuges to enrich uranium, in a new breach of the agreement with world powers.