DOMINANT ANGLE
Tehran denies any involvement in the drone attack on the Saudi oil pipeline and denounces an American accusation without evidence, instead pointing to the Yemeni front opened by the allied forces of Sanaa.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Iraqi groups targeted by the accusations have denied any involvement in the pipeline attack, stating they would be "proud" if they had been the perpetrators, according to Iran International.
- 02
Donald Trump stated that Iran was "probably" behind the attack on the East-West Saudi pipeline.
- 03
Yemeni forces claimed on Saturday a missile and drone strike against a Saudi military base in Sharoura, targeting arms depots and command centers, according to their spokesman Yahya Saree.
ANALYSIS
Tehran, September 13, 2026. Iranian authorities reject any responsibility in the drone attack that forced Saudi Arabia to close its East-West oil pipeline on Saturday, a 1,200-kilometer pipeline connecting its oil fields to the Red Sea. According to Iran International, Iraqi groups targeted by Baghdad's and Riyadh's accusations have denied any role in the operation, while stating they "would be proud" if they had been the perpetrators - a phrase the Iranian press retains as proof that the claim does not implicate Tehran or its relays.
The statement by Donald Trump, who judged Iran "probably" behind the attack, is presented as an unfounded accusation, in line with his comments on February 28, when he had promised the Iranians that "the hour of your freedom is near" and called on them to "take control" of their government. Six months later, notes Iran International, this rhetoric has produced no concrete policy, and Trump himself has acknowledged that the November electoral calendar weighs on decisions to escalate against Tehran - an admission the Iranian press retains as proof that the accusation primarily serves a US domestic agenda.
Another front highlighted is Yemen, where Yemeni armed forces claimed on Saturday a missile and drone operation against a Saudi military base in Sharoura, targeting, according to their spokesperson Yahya Saree, arms depots and command centers "directing the aggression against Yemen". This strike, distinct from the one targeting the oil pipeline but assumed without ambiguity, serves as a counter-example for Tehran: proof that its allies claim their operations when they are responsible, unlike the unclaimed Iraqi attack.
Baghdad has closed three border posts with Iran and suspended its flights to Tehran; the Iranian press reports these measures without commenting on them directly, emphasizing that no material evidence linking Iran to the drones has been made public.
