Russia Says Unacceptable to Discuss Retaliation to Saudi Attacks

Pompeo told Iraqi PM U.S. information affirms Saudi not attacked from Iraq

Sep 16, 2019

Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday it was unacceptable to discuss a possible retaliation to the attacks on Saudi oil facilities and that to use the incident to increase tensions around Iran was counterproductive.

"We believe it is counterproductive to use what happened to increase tensions around Iran in line with the well-known U.S. policy," the ministry said in a statement.

"Proposals on tough retaliatory actions, which appear to have been discussed in Washington are even more unacceptable," the ministry said.

Russia believes that the exchange in attacks on civil infrastructure facilities is a direct consequence of the ongoing military conflict in Yemen, according to the statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that the United States has information confirming Baghdad's denial that Iraqi territory was used to launch an attack on Saudi oil facilities, Iraq said on Monday.

"On his part the U.S. Secretary of State said the information they have confirms the Iraqi government's statement that its territory was not used to carry out this attack," Abdul Mahdi's office said in a readout of a phone call between the two