Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected as “pure lies” claims that Tehran was involved in drone attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi Arabia, after US President Donald Trump suggested it may have been behind a strike on the Kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline.

At his weekly press conference, spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei urged regional governments to “recognize the facts” rather than repeat such allegations.

Saudi Arabia reported on Friday that several drones launched from Iraq struck the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, but opted against retaliation for now while backing the Iraqi government’s response.

Read more: Iraq accepts Iran request for joint drone probe

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions, denied involvement and expressed readiness to cooperate with the government investigation.

Baqaei also confirmed that a planned meeting in Salalah, Oman, had been canceled at Saudi Arabia’s request due to developments in Yemen. Addressing the conflict there, he denied any Iranian role and accused some countries of using the escalation to target Tehran, while portraying Houthi actions as a response to years of war and blockade.

Read more: Houthi advance raises stakes from Bab al-Mandeb to Iraq