Trump says US will help allies after Saudi oil attacks

President Donald Trump on Monday promised to supply oil to US allies, after attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure that Washington has blamed on Iran.

"We are a net Energy Exporter & now the Number One Energy Producer in the World," Trump tweeted.

"We don't need Middle Eastern Oil & Gas, & in fact have very few tankers there but will help our Allies!" he added.

Trump's comments come after weekend drone strikes on two major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, which slashed the country's oil production by half and led both the kingdom and the United States to announce they may tap into their strategic reserves.

Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is bogged down in a five-year war, have claimed responsibility.

On Sunday, Trump warned that the United States was "locked and loaded" to respond to the Saturday attacks.

It is the first time the president has hinted at a potential American military response to the drone strikes.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, the United States was the top global oil producer in 2018, churning out 18 million barrels per day of crude and refined product.

Saudi Arabia was the largest exporter but vies with Russia for second place in overall petroleum production.