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Trump: U.S. ‘Locked and Loaded’ for Potential Response to Iran-attributed Attacks

President Donald Trump warned that the US was “locked and loaded” for a potential response to Saturday’s attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities. “There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the [Saudi] Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!” the US leader tweeted. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed the coordinated drone strikes – which temporarily cut Saudi oil production in half – on Iran, although Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the assault. “Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply,” the top US diplomat asserted. The drone strikes targeted two sites, including the world’s largest petroleum processing facility. Overall, the attack shut 5 percent of world production, causing oil prices to surge more than 15% on Sunday. Meanwhile, Iran dismissed the US accusation as “pointless,” while a top military commander threatened that Tehran was prepared for “full-fledged” war.