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:: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations an “act of war” against the kingdom by Iran, as the Saudis displayed missile and drone wreckage and cited other evidence they said shows the raid was “unquestionably sponsored by Iran.”

Iran, which has denied involvement in the attack, warned the US it will retaliate immediately if it is targeted.

He added there was no evidence the attacks had been launched from Iraq, amid media speculation the drones had been fired from there.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he is moving to increase financial sanctions on Tehran over the attack.

“The Saudis were the nation that was attacked. It was on their soil. It was an act of war against them directly,” Pompeo said en route to Jeddah.

He said that “it doesn’t matter” whether the Houthis claim they were behind the attack. “This was an Iranian attack,” he said.

“It doesn’t change the fingerprints of the ayatollah as having put at risk the global energy supply,” Pompeo said, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khomenei.

Pompeo landed in Jeddah on Wednesday and met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They are expected to discuss the recent attack on two Saudi Arabian oil facilities and coordinate efforts to counter Iranian aggression in the region.

Pompeo and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed that the recent attacks was an “unacceptable and unprecedented attack that not only threatened Saudi Arabian national security but also endangered the lives of all the American citizens living and working in Saudi Arabia,” according to a statement from the State Department released after the two met in Jeddah. as well as the world’s energy supply in general.

“The Secretary and the Crown Prince discussed the need for the international community to come together to counter the continued threat of the Iranian regime and agreed that the Iranian regime must be held accountable for its continued aggressive, reckless, and threatening behavior,” the statement added.

The US Secretary of State will later travel to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Iranian regime’s threatening behavior will not be tolerated, Pompeo tweets after meeting with Saudi crown prince

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said Iranian strikes on key Saudi oil installations will not go unpunished as he reaffirmed his country’s support for Saudi Arabia in a meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“The U.S. stands with #SaudiArabia and supports its right to defend itself. The Iranian regime’s threatening behavior will not be tolerated,” Pompeo tweeted after the meeting in Jeddah.

Pompeo stressed during the meeting that the US supports the steps taken by Saudi Arabia for international experts to investigate the source of the attacks on Saudi Aramco in Abqaiq and Khurais on Sept. 14, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Houthi militias in Yemen had initially claimed responsibility for the drone and cruise missile strikes, but Pompeo said it was an “Iranian attack”.

He said the strikes had not come from the Iran-backed Houthi militants and that there was no evidence the attacks had been launched from Iraq.

“This is an attack of a scale we’ve just not seen before,” he added.

For his part, the Crown Prince stressed during the meeting that these attacks were aimed at destabilizing the region’s security and damaging global energy supplies and economy.

The meeting was attended by Prince Khalid bin Salman, Deputy Minister of Defense, and Dr. Musaed AlAiban, State Minister and Member of Council of Ministers, as well as the US Ambassador in Riyadh John Abizaid.

Pompeo was met at Jeddah airport by Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf.

Pompeo’s visit comes as President Donald Trump said on Wednesday there were many options short of war with Iran after Saudi Arabia’s display of remnants of drones and missiles it said were used in the I that was “unquestionably sponsored” by Tehran.

“There are many options. There’s the ultimate option and there are options that are a lot less than that. And we’ll see,” Trump told reporters in Los Angeles. “I’m saying the ultimate option meaning go in — war.”

Trump, who earlier said on Twitter that he had ordered the US Treasury to “substantially increase” sanctions on Iran, told reporters the unspecified, punitive economic measures would be unveiled within 48 hours.

Trump’s tweet followed repeated US assertions that the Islamic Republic was behind Saturday’s attack on Aramco facilities and came hours after Saudi Arabia said the strike was a “test of global will.”

Earlier on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump about the Aramco attack, and agreed that Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Also on Wednesday, Kuwait’s army released a statement announcing it was raising its preparedness level for some units, given the tensions in the Middle East region.

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