EU warns of instability after Saudi oil attacks
(VOVWORLD) - The European Union on Sunday warned of a “real threat to regional security” in the Middle East after attacks on Saudi oil plants that risk disrupting global energy supplies and for which Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility.
 Smoke billows after the attacks on the oil plant in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, September 14, 2019. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
The attack by drones on two Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia poses a real threat to regional security, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement. “At a time when tensions in the region are running high, this attack undermines ongoing work at de-escalation and dialogue,” she said, calling for “maximum restraint and de-escalation”.
Oil plants in the Saudi cities of Abqaia and Khurais were attacked on Saturday, causing Saudi’s oil production to drop 5 million barrels per day, 6% of the world's oil supply.
US President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Sunday that the US will tap into its Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the wake of the incidents. He said he has asked authorities to expedite oil pipeline permits in Texas and several other states.