UK, France, Germany blame Iran for Saudi oil attacks

Leaders from the UK, France and Germany at the United Nations have said that Iran was responsible for the attacks on two oil facilities in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met on Monday during the annual United Nations gathering of world leaders to coordinate their strategy on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

The three leaders, in a joint statement released by France, said: "It is clear for us that Iran bears responsibility for this attack. There is no other plausible explanation."

"We are committed to continuing our diplomatic efforts to create conditions and facilitate dialogue with all relevant partners interested in de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East," the statement said.

It added, "The time has come for Iran to accept a long term negotiation framework for its nuclear programme, as well as regional security issues, which include its missile programmes."

Tension in the Middle East surged following an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on September 14, knocking out half the kingdom's oil production.

Yemen's Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack, but both United States and Saudi Arabia have accused Iran of being behind the attacks.

Denying any involvement in the incident, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Monday stated that he had no reason to believe Houthi rebels were lying when they claimed responsibility for the attack on key Saudi oil facilities.

He called it a "high-precision, low-impact" assault with no casualties.

( With inputs from ANI )