Before, to achieve what . But one of his supposed friends the Prime Minister of luxembourg launches a scathing attack on that Brexit Strategy after Boris Johnson pulls out of a joint News Conference amid noisy protests. Its not under my responsibility if they are not able to find a United Kingdom back in london and the house of commons and a majority. These are home made problems. Also on the Programme Auto workers at General Motors walk off the job for the first strike in 12 years, fuelling turmoil in the us economy. And the bride who swallowed her ring to hide it from the bad guys who wanted to steal it. Trouble is, she was dreaming it. Hello and welcome im Michelle Fleury in washington and Christian Fraser is in london. The wave of drone attacks this weekend on a major oil facility in saudi arabia, took out 5 of Global Supply and has triggered a record surge in oil prices. President trump says the United States is locked and loaded to respond and says he will use the Emergency Oil reserves if necessary to cover any supply disruptions. But how did a fleet of ten drones penetrate so deeply into saudi airspace, who launched them and where were they launched from 7 our Diplomatic CorrespondentJames Landale has this report. The attacks over the weekend struck at the heart of saudi arabias economic lifeblood. Air strikes on two of the largest Oil Facilities in the world, knocking out almost half of the countrys production. Iranian backed Houthi Rebels in yemen claimed responsibility. But us officials said satellite images showed a complex and precise assault involving at least 17 missiles and unmanned aircraft, originating from the north or north west, perhaps from pro iranian militias in iraq. Today, irans president was visiting turkey. His spokesman denied any responsibility for the attacks, accusing the us of maximum deceit. But according to saudi commanders, the origin of the weapons was clear. Translation initial findings indicate the weapons used in this terrorist attack are iranian. We will continue our investigations but our findings suggested this attack was not launched from yemen by houthi militias. Whats not clear yet is how the saudis and the us will respond. In a series of tweets, President Trump said the us was locked and loaded, apparently ready to help his ally take on iran. This behaviour is unacceptable. Its unacceptable and they must be held responsible. Make no mistake about it, this was a deliberate attack on the global economy. Tensions in the gulf have been growing for years, largely between iran and saudi arabia. Theyre fighting whats seen as a proxy war in yemen where the Saudi Led Coalition is battling pro iranian Houthi Rebels. And there have been houthi strikes on targets inside saudi territory before. Although few as large as over the weekend. But remember, iran itself has also been blamed for attacks in the region. Earlier in the summer it was accused of attacking oil tankers, and injune it shot down an unmanned us aircraft. Iran, because it has come under pressure, because it has come under renewed sanctions by the us, has tried to push back and has tried to push back by making it more complicated for other exporters of oil in the region. And that could have an impact on the forecourt. Today at one point Oil Prices Rose nearly 20 before falling back later. The biggest rise since the early 1990s. James landale, bbc news. As james was explaining, us officials have been briefing today that the drones could have been launched from inside iran. Reportedly there were 19 strikes on the two oilfields in the east of the country, over 500 miles from yemeni territory. Consider that saudi arabia has been at war with yemen for over four years, on heightened alert throughout. There are american supplied air defences inside the country. Not to mention significant us interests in the region. The us navys fifth fleet is stationed in bahrain. There are us air bases in qatar and the United Arab Emirates and a base in kuwait. Werejoined now in washington by barbara slavin, director of the future of Iran Initiative at the atlantic council. Thank you forjoining me. Lets start with us policy. We have seen this maximum pressure approach does this mean it is not working . think thats a fair conclusion. None of these incidents were occurring until the United States withdrew from the iran nuclear deal, especially not since the us essentially tried to impose a total embargo on the export of iranians oil last may. You remember that the us had waivers allowing some countries to continue purchases of iranians oil, then mike pompeo said he would bring iranians oil exports to zero. We have seen what happens. In the last few weeks we have heard talk about restarting talks with iran, no preconditions, not sure. Is that all out the window . Tension is now likely to increase . that all out the window . Tension is now likely to increase . I dont think it was ever on the cards. If the United States was smart, it would name an envoy with a proven track record of dealing with the iranians and would start lower level talks, may be behind the scenes. We desperately need de escalation. This is not helping anyone. The administration keeps telling us that the maximum pressure strategy they are applying is working, so what does this tell us . Does it tell us that we are seeing iranians weakness oi that we are seeing iranians weakness or desperation, or is it the reverse is or desperation, or is it the reverse is it or desperation, or is it the reverse isita or desperation, or is it the reverse is it a signal of iranians strength . Obviously, the strategy is not working. Iran has become more provocative since the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal. There is no prospect of a new and better deal, which was President Trumps promise when he left the agreement, so iran is suffering. The economic sanctions clearly are hurting, but they are ratcheting up the pressure, and if iran was indeed responsible for this attack, this was the most provocative step they have taken yet. And what is the United States supposed to do about it . There was no military authorisation that allows the United States to retaliate against iran absent and irani an attack on an american target. And we have seen how this drug is in the other countries in the region, so of course yemen has been part of the focus, but also the iraqi Prime Minister has been forced to come out and deny the attack came from his country because he is desperate not to get dragged into this proxy war. Yes, iraq is in the worst possible place. They want to keep good relations with both the us and iran, so we relations with both the us and iran, so we have seen statements that the attacks did not come from a rocky soil will stop i hope for the sake of iraq that that is indeed the case. Barbara slaving, thank you for your thoughts. Barbara slavin. Justin bronkjoins me now. Hes a Research Fellow at the rusi think tank here in london and specialises in combat airpower and technology. How would they put together an attack like this . The first way would be small drones, small missiles with wings and propeller engines, which have seen a lot of use from the houthis in the past as well as in general and the middle east. Those could be launched from yemen and can cover significant distances but have very small warheads, about 30 kilograms maximum, not sufficient to cause damage on this scale unless you get a lot of very lucky hits. With more than smartphone and gps technology, potentially very accurate. That would be one potential element. Then you have cruise missiles, much larger, tend to be launched with a booster, creating a large plume, a lot of light, heat and smoke. After the first few seconds, they will transition to a smalljet engine then would be quite quiet, small and difficult to spot. President rouhani is in turkey today saying this is a reciprocal response to aggression in yemen. I dont know if that amounts toa claim yemen. I dont know if that amounts to a claim of responsibility, but what you just described takes a fair amount of technical know how, and some people question whether the houthis might have that. I am incredulous that they managed to get so incredulous that they managed to get so deep into saudi territory. Lets have a look on the map at the American Interest in the region. They have been on heightened alert forfour they have been on heightened alert for four years they have been on heightened alert forfour years and they have been on heightened alert for four years and would have been looking for this. It is interesting that most of the large, big ticket air defence items which the saudis have purchased, in particular the Patriot Missile system, they are optimised for the Ballistic Missile threat, so very large, fast, high arcing trajectory weapons which have been the major form for houthis to attack infrastructure and other targets, like mecca in saudi arabia until recently. Though systems are incredibly expensive, cant be everywhere at once, and their coverage of the large saudi kingdom, with the curvature of the earth, they would not see them until they we re they would not see them until they were 60 kilometres away. To look for relatively slow targets they are and they are looking for high flying large ones. There are point defence systems, radar guided guns, for example, which russia uses in syria to defend its air bases from the sort of attacks. The russians have only two major facilities to defend, so only two major facilities to defend, so they can have a layered air defence bubble. Justin, ijust wa nted defence bubble. Justin, ijust wanted to ask, there was an attack in may using drones, and we have more drones in this attack seven might looking at the technology, does it look like it was the same people behind both attacks . What is interesting here is that the scale of the destruction and quite how, if you look at the satellite imagery, precise the impact points are across the refinery. That would suggest military grade hardware, so perhaps cruise missiles are more likely to bea cruise missiles are more likely to be a culprit here for the major damage. No doubt some drones mixed if it is a cruise missile, there is only one place the third nights could have got it, if it came from yemen. Where it came from is almost irrelevant. If it was a cruise missile, it was a rainy and produced and given to someone, regardless of where it was launched from. How do you think that shifts our psychology . We have always taken the 0pec cartel as a stable joint that can supply the world oil markets. Does it shift how we think of saudi arabia . And does it also shift how production goes in the future within the 0pec cartel . I think theyve done a fantasticjob of trying to convey this very stable, large producer image. Now the question is, what happens next . Has that psychology been pierced, and what does this do Going Forward for its power within the cartel . Clearly efforts being made to say, we can make up the production, on the part of saudi arabia so that other players dont try to step up to the plate. They dont want smaller producers opening the taps when they have just got them not to flood the market. Lets focus on brexit. Borisjohnson was in luxembourg today for talks with his counterpart Xavier Bettel and the European Commission president jean claude junker. Its customary on these visits for a Prime Minister to stand alongside his hosts, and give some insight into what the meetings had achieved. This borisjohnson was in luxembourg today for talks well, not today. 0ddly, mr bettel had positioned two lecterns for a press conference, in his courtyard, in full view of the street and an anti brexit demonstration. Mrjohnson, booed on his way into the meeting, asked for the Subsequent Press conference to be moved inside, so that people would hear properly. Mr bettel reportedly refused and borisjohnson left without comment. His host proceeded with a briefing anyway, effectively empty chairing mrjohnson. A reflection perhaps of europes growing frustration with the british position. I repeat, this brexit, its not my choice. Its been a decision from a party, it was a decision from David Cameron to do it. They decide, they decide, i deeply regret it. But dont put the blame on us because now they dont know how to get out of this. Situation they put themselves in. Its not my choice. So the eu impatient to see more details from mrjohnson. Before he left luxembourg he gave an interview to our Political EditorLaura Kuenssberg we think we can satisfy the European Commission and ourfriends on the key points integrity of the single market, ensuring there are no checks at the border in Northern Ireland, protecting all the achievements of the good friday agreement. I think we can, while simultaneously allowing the whole of the uk to withdraw. Lets speak now to michael birnbaum, the washington posts Brussels Bureau chief. What did you make of the bettel press conference . It wasjust an incredible scene. The Prime Minister of luxembourg is a friendly guy, outgoing, well known within european circles for being extremely cheerful and always bringing. He always seems to be telling jokes at the outset of summits. Today was something different, emotional, passionate, really angry and a real edge and what he was saying, denouncing the current state of brexit affairs. You could just tell he was so frustrated with both the brexit process, and we dont know exactly his conversation with Boris Johnson today, but you know, he was angry and frustrated immediately upon leaving those one on one talks with the british leader. It was pretty noisy and i dont know if they would have heard much of they had continued. Lets talk about what he discussed withJean Claude Juncker. Each said they would intensify their efforts. It is back to the future. They used to say this with theresa may but they went round and round the same issues, and didnt get any further on. We are still going around the same issues stop there is a big disagreement about the irish backstop, as it is called, the Insurance Plan to make sure there is no hard border that goes up between Northern Ireland and the republic of ireland, and the european side says it is open to other ideas, to a uk initiative to find a different way to keep the border open as long as they are respecting eu red lines, which the eu says Boris Johnson respecting eu red lines, which the eu says borisjohnson hasnt come up with any concrete ideas yet. There is real frustration. With any concrete ideas yet. There is realfrustration. Downing street itself is saying, we need to have movement on the eu side, and the eu side is saying, you have to move first. This is your brexit and it is for you to come up with some new ideas, so not a lot of movement right now. Michael, if the uk did lay out some new proposals, is there a sense that brussels would be receptive, given for example the anger we so expressed receptive, given for example the anger we so expressed today by mr bettel . Brussels is ready for a deal that respects what it says its red lines are. That is respect for the European Market and no hardboard. So, if there were, for example, a Northern Ireland only, what they call a Northern Irish backstop, that would be setting up some sort of border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the uk, Northern Ireland inside eu regulations, that would be fine with the eu, and they could probably get that done quickly. The question is whether that would be politically acceptable on the british site, and at the moment, it seems unlikely that that would work. There is openness to a deal but not a lot of optimism that something could work out that would be politically acceptable on both side. Good to talk to you, michael. Thank you for your thoughts. How you view today depends on how you view brexit. I have been looking at social media, and lots of people on the remain side saying, if he is really the whole, he should have been man enough to face down the protesters. 0n the other side, you see mr bettel trying to put the british Prime Minister in an awkward position where he would have been booed and drowned out had he stood there at the lectern. If you think back to the dublin press conference, the irish Prime Minister wasjust as robust as mr bettel was today and mr johnson stood there politely and gave his side of the brexit argument, so i dont think he was frightened to stand there, but i think it was a bit of an old stunt to pull, to be honest. When you look at pictures like the one wejust when you look at pictures like the one we just saw of the empty podium, they speak volumes. We dont