Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday U.S. and allies' accusations that attacks on Saudi oil sites were "an act of war" may be aimed at deceiving U.S. President Donald Trump into a war against Tehran.
"'Act of war'or AGITATION for WAR? Remnants of #B_Team (+ambitious allies) try to deceive @realdonaldtrump into war," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.
Zarif has in the past said that a so-called "B-team" including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could goad the U.S. president into a conflict with Tehran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described on Wednesday the attacks on Saudi Arabia as "an act of war".
TEHRAN SLAMS NEW US SANCTIONS AFTER SAUDI OIL ATTACKS
Zarif has strongly condemned the ordering of new sanctions against Iran in the wake of the attacks on major Saudi oil facilities on the weekend, which Riyadh and Washington have blamed on Tehran.
US President Donald Trump directed the US Treasury Department to "substantially increase" sanctions on Iran following the strikes, which caused fires at two facilities operated by Saudi state oil giant Aramco and sent oil prices soaring.
It was not immediately clear what specific actions Trump had ordered.
Responding on Twitter on Thursday, Zarif described the decision as "economic terrorism, illegal and inhumane."
Tehran has denied any involvement in the attacks. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called them an "act of war" by Iran.
Washington began a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran after pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, reinstating hard-hitting oil and financial sanctions.
The attacks on oil facilities - by a combination of drones and missiles, according to the Saudis - marked a dramatic escalation in the confrontation, sparking oil supply concerns and fears of an outbreak of fighting between the US and Iran.
Yemen's Iran-linked Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes. But Pompeo called the claims "fraudulent."
