Saudi unveils 'undeniable' Iran attack evidence
A packed news conference, a colonel in the Saudi Arabian military, and a room full of twisted wreckage.
What the Saudis say were the remnants of attack drones and cruise missiles used by Iran in the attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
They're calling it "undeniable" evidence that the weapons were launched from Iran, and not Yemen.
Partly, they claim, because the weapons had such limited range they couldn't have been sent from Yemen's Houthi movement anyway.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, COLONEL TURKI AL-MALKI, SAYING:
We know the capability for the previous information that we have recovered from a previous attack. The Iranian regime and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), they are trying to hide any evidence from the component and with the technology they are mistaken. We do have a lot of evidence against the IRGC and we will provide it to the United Nations and through the right channel according to the international law.
Riyadh says it can't release its specific forensic methods to the public at this time for security reasons but it will be handed over to the international community.
Over 10,000 miles away and just moments before the Saudi news conference another announcement from their ally.
U.S. President Trump says he has ordered a quote, "substantial increase" to sanctions on Iran, without giving specifics.
But a former Treasury Department official told Reuters that it may involve going after the efforts of European countries still working with Iran on the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iranian President Rouhani, meanwhile, maintains that his country did not launch the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities and it came from Yemen's Houthis.
Iran does, however, back the Houthis in Yemen's civil war -- a proxy conflict against Saudi Arabia.
