White House defends blaming Iran for Houthi oil attack

Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told the Fox News Channel, the current tensions with Iran over the attacks on Saudi Arabia are exactly why Donald Trump is president, in part because Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "went right out there and pointed the finger at the agressor, the Iranian regime."

Conway added that there are many options on the table to protect American and global economic interests.

Iran dismissed accusations by the United States that it was behind attacks on Saudi oil plants that risk disrupting global energy supplies and warned on Sunday that U.S. bases and aircraft carriers in the region were in range of its missiles.

Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks that knocked out more than half of Saudi oil output or more than 5% of global supply, but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the assault was the work of Iran, a Houthi ally.

The drone strikes on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, including the world's biggest petroleum processing facility, were expected to send oil prices up $5-10 per barrel on Monday as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed the U.S. allegation as "pointless". A senior Revolutionary Guards commander warned that the Islamic Republic was ready for "full-fledged" war.