Saudi Arabia shows 'material evidence' of Iranian involvement in oil attacks

The Saudis have displayed what they say are cruise missiles and drones proving Iran's responsibility for the recent attack on oil facilities.

The Abqaiq facility and the Khurais oil field were attacked in the early hours of Saturday, causing a reduction of more than half in Saudi Arabia's daily oil exports - more than 5% of the world's daily production.

Initially Houthi rebels - backed by Iran - were blamed for the attack. But in recent days, the finger has been pointed directly at Iran.

Cruise missiles and drones - what we know:

Saudi Colonel Turki bin Saleh al Malki displayed the wreckage of drones and cruise missiles he said had been used in the attack.

Colonel al Malki described the drones as "delta wing" models and the cruise missile was described as a "Ya Ali" type, with a small jet engine attached to it.

Sky's defence correspondent Alistair Bunkall said Iran had spent considerable money and resources developing its drone fleet. It now has a range of around 30 different types of unmanned aircraft - some armed, others just for surveillance.

"The drone displayed by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh matches one displayed at a defence show in Iran in 2014," he said.

"Investigators have been examining a circuit board found in one of the crashed drones. That will help establish things like trajectory and origin.

"Given that Yemen has been ruled out as a possible launch site, that would suggest short or possibly medium-range cruise missiles were used from either Iraq or Iran."

Where were the weapons launched from?

Colonel al Malki ruled out Yemen - he said the weapons did not come from the south (ie Yemen) as they had a limited range (435 miles). Instead he said they came from the north, the direction of Iran. There have already been reports from the US that the weapons were fired from southwest Iran.

The colonel went on to say the Saudis have not yet pinpointed the exact launch site but are analysing the weapons and expect to find information on the drones that will give them the answer to this. When they have the answer, he said, they will tell the world.

Bunkall said: "Despite them saying they don't quite know yet, I don't believe that. It's not that hard militarily to determine where these attacks came from. If the Saudis don't know it, then the Americans will do."

What other evidence was offered?

Eighteen drones and seven cruise missiles were used in the attack, Colonel al Malki said, but three missiles failed to hit their targets.

He also played surveillance video that he said showed a drone coming in from the north.

Earlier the US released satellite images that showed damage largely on the north-facing sides of structures at the oil sites.

The colonel said: "This is the kind of weapon the Iranian regime and the Iranian [Revolutionary Guard] are using against the civilian object and facilities infrastructure. This attack did not originate from Yemen, despite Iran's best effort to make it appear so."

Is the attack embarrassing for Saudi Arabia?

Asked by Sky News' Mark Stone in Riyadh whether Saudi Arabia's air defences had failed, the colonel said the country's leadership continued to be "proud" of their air defences.

He said: "Our air defences with the capability that we have… we save our nation, we save our country. If you think they are failing, we're very proud about our air defence."

However, Stone said: "While the attack could be seen as embarrassing, Saudi Arabia clearly feels that the display of weapons is worth it because countering Iran, its influence and the danger they believe it poses is the priority."

So if Iran did do this, what does it show us about their intentions?

Iran has already shown it can create trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and gas, with its actions towards British-flagged ships there earlier this year.

If responsible for the Saudi attack, it would display an ability to cause problems for that country's oil industry too.

Because Saudi Arabia is one of the world's biggest oil producers, any supply problems there have an impact on the rest of the world.

Prices for Brent crude shot up around 20% when markets opened for the first time after the Saudi attack (although they settled later), so it shows how easily the attackers have created larger problems for the global economy.

So what about the Houthis?

The Iran-backed Houthis are standing by their earlier claim of responsibility for the attacks in Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday they said the attacks had been launched from three sites in Yemen, where they are involved in a civil war.

They also said they had dozens of sites in the United Arab Emirates, one of Saudi Arabia's allies, listed as possible future targets.

What is the US likely to do now?

The US, despite Donald Trump saying its military is "locked and loaded", is unlikely to want a major confrontation with Iran. As much as Mr Trump is portrayed as being a warmonger, he campaigned on ending US involvement in overseas wars. The last thing he wants is to be drawn into a conflict with Iran, especially as he starts his re-election campaign for 2020.

Strengthening economic sanctions is possible but the US has already imposed significant sanctions on the Iranian regime. They are having an effect but Mr Trump seems to underestimate the regime's resilience.

On Wednesday, Mr Trump told reporters that, despite having the "strongest military in the world", refraining from an attack was a sign of strength.

He added: "If we have to do something we'll do it without hesitation.

"We'll be adding some very significant sanctions on Iran - we'll be announcing them over the next 48 hours."

What has Iran said following the press conference?

An adviser to Iran's president was quoted as saying Saudi Arabia had proved "it knows nothing".

What is Britain's response?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken with Mr Trump about the attack and "agreed that [Iran] must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon", according to a No 10 spokesman.

They agreed that there must be a "united diplomatic response from international partners" to the attack. Mr Johnson earlier told the Saudi crown prince that the UK stands by Saudi Arabia and is committed to the country's security.

Also worth noting: there are fears in Kuwait that they might also be a target. The Al Anbaa newspaper reported the country's oil sector is on high alert due to "noticeable changes to levels of national threat".