US Military Leaders Provided Trump With Plan To Attack Iran Oil Facilities - Reports

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2019) US military leaders have presented President Donald Trump with a plan to strike Iranian oil facilities in response to Tehran's alleged role in attacks on Saudi plants, media reported.

US military leaders during a national security meeting on Monday presented Trump with various retaliatory actions including cyber-attacks and physical strikes, NBC news reported on Tuesday citing US officials briefed on the meeting.

Politico reported on Tuesday, citing people close to Trump, that he is against striking Iran because he wants to live up to his campaign promise to keep the United States out of any new foreign conflicts. Moreover, it said Trump is worried a war with Iran could have economic consequences.

Over the weekend, Saudi Aramco had to close two of its compounds, the Abqaiq and Khurais facilities, after they were hit by drones and then caught fire.

The incident led to a cut in oil production totaling 5.7 million barrels per day - about half of Saudi Arabia's daily oil output. The closure of oil facilities triggered a surge of oil prices worldwide.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday that oil supplies reduced after the attack on Saudi oil facilities had returned to their previous levels.

While the perpetrators of the attack remain unknown and the investigation into the incident is underway, the responsibility was already claimed by the military wing of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis. The United States, in the meantime, has put the blame on Iran. Tehran has refuted the accusation.