By Nick Baum
THURSDAY – 9/19/19
President Donald Trump has ordered a new set of sanctions targeting Iran after a drone strike destroyed a large oil reserve in Saudi Arabia. Although it hasn’t been confirmed as an attack from Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called it, “an act of war” from Iran. Trump originally said he’d wait for the final intelligence report to be shared, but opted against it with the sanctions.
The attack inflicted serious damage on both Saudi Arabia’s and the world’s economy. It knocked out over half of Saudi Arabia’s oil supply, and the global benchmark for oil rose by 14% per barrel. Pompeo met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday to discuss the attack.
What’s important to note is that Iran itself didn’t commit the attack on the oil facility, but rather Houthi rebels in Yemen that did, with Iranian weapons. The large question is whether the attack was with Iran’s knowledge, which more national security experts are agreeing upon. Houthi rebels in Yemen side with Iran on global issues along with their branch of Islam, Shia.
Sources and Pictures: CNN, CNN Business, Times Of Israel
