The United States will "defend the international system" which Iran is "undermining" after an "unprecedented attack" on Saudi oil facilities, Defense Secretary Mark Asper said Monday.
He wrote on Twitter that he had attended a White House meeting shortly before to assess the situation with President Donald Trump, who said on Sunday he was "ready to respond" to those responsible for the attacks.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed "serious concern" over the escalation of tension after the attack on two Saudi oil facilities over the weekend, accusing Iran of "destabilizing" the region.
The remarks made by Stoltenberg in an interview with Agence France-Presse is his first about the attack adopted by the Houthi insurgency in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and the United States accused Iran of launching it.
"We call on all parties to prevent such attacks, because their negative repercussions could be felt throughout the region, and we are very concerned about the possibility of escalation," Stoltenberg said.
The NATO official accused Iran of "supporting various terrorist groups and of being responsible for destabilizing the entire region."
