<p class="title">French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday that a claim by Yemeni rebels that they carried out attacks on two Saudi oil facilities "lacks credibility".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The Huthis, who are Yemeni rebels, announced that it was they who provoked this attack, which lacks credibility," Le Drian told France's CNews channel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Saudi Arabia's southern neighbour Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attacks, which knocked out half of Saudi oil production.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But both Washington and Riyadh have ruled that out and pinned the blame on Saudi's arch-foe Iran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia displayed what it said were fragments of 25 drones and cruise missiles, which they said proved the attack was carried out by Tehran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Le Drian cast doubt on the ability of the Huthis to carry out an attack of that scale and range from Yemen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"But given that there is an international investigation let's wait for the results," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday denounced the strikes as an "act of war", comments seen as raising the risk of a wider conflict in the Gulf region.</p>.<p class="bodytext">French President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to broker a reduction in the tensions, which have intensified since the US pulled out of a deal on Iran's nuclear programme last year and reimposed crippling sanctions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Wednesday, France announced that it was sending experts to Saudi Arabia to help investigate the origin of the oil attacks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Le Drian linked the timing of the strikes to next week's UN General Assembly in New York, where a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani had been mooted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We need now to return to the principle of de-escalation," he said.</p>
<p class="title">French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday that a claim by Yemeni rebels that they carried out attacks on two Saudi oil facilities "lacks credibility".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The Huthis, who are Yemeni rebels, announced that it was they who provoked this attack, which lacks credibility," Le Drian told France's CNews channel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Saudi Arabia's southern neighbour Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attacks, which knocked out half of Saudi oil production.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But both Washington and Riyadh have ruled that out and pinned the blame on Saudi's arch-foe Iran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia displayed what it said were fragments of 25 drones and cruise missiles, which they said proved the attack was carried out by Tehran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Le Drian cast doubt on the ability of the Huthis to carry out an attack of that scale and range from Yemen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"But given that there is an international investigation let's wait for the results," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday denounced the strikes as an "act of war", comments seen as raising the risk of a wider conflict in the Gulf region.</p>.<p class="bodytext">French President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to broker a reduction in the tensions, which have intensified since the US pulled out of a deal on Iran's nuclear programme last year and reimposed crippling sanctions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Wednesday, France announced that it was sending experts to Saudi Arabia to help investigate the origin of the oil attacks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Le Drian linked the timing of the strikes to next week's UN General Assembly in New York, where a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani had been mooted.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We need now to return to the principle of de-escalation," he said.</p>