US, Gulf states know Iran conducted attacks on Saudi oil facilities - Pompeo

WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday his current tour of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates was a diplomatic mission to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Gulf region while Iran threatens "an all-out war." Speaking to reporters at Al-Bateen Executive Airport in Abu-Dhabi, Pompeo said he had "good, productive conversations" with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as well as Mohammad bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
"I was sent here to work to make sure that I understood how our friends and allies here in the region were viewing the challenge and the threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran," the State Secretary said.
"I certainly accomplished that, and I think I'll be able to give the President some important information about how it is we should think about proceeding. "I think it's abundantly clear and there is an enormous consensus in the region that we know precisely who conducted these attacks. It was Iran. I didn't hear anybody in the region who doubted that for a single moment," he made clear.
"We'd like a peaceful resolution, indeed. I think we've demonstrated that. They've taken down American UAVs, now conducted the largest attack on the globe's energy in an awfully long time, and we are still striving to build out a coalition. I was here in an act of diplomacy.
"While the foreign minister of Iran is threatening all-out war and to fight to the last American, we're here to build out a coalition aimed at achieving peace and a peaceful resolution to this. "That's my mission set, what President Trump certainly wants me to work to achieve, and I hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran sees it the same way. There's no evidence of that from his statement, but I hope that that's the case," Pompeo stressed.
"There will be more sanctions. We have set about a course of action to deny Iran the capacity and the wealth so that they can conduct their terrorist - to prevent them from conducting their terror campaigns.
"And you can see from the events of last week there's still more work to do. We're going to continue to drive towards that end," he went on.
"The President's direction to us, to continue to prevent them having the capacity to underwrite Hezbollah, Shia militias in Iraq, their own missile program, all the things that they have done to pose a threat to the world, that's the mission set with our economic sanctions," he added.
Pompeo arrived in Abu-Dhabi earlier today after visiting Saudi Arabia yesterday on a trip aimed at discussing the response to the Saturday attacks on Saudi oil facilities. (end) rsr.gb