I agree with your main point and was going to write something like this. But "most likely" is likely unjustified. It could be a 3rd factor that causes both, but its likelihood is unknown.
Correlation usually does not indicate causation. I.e. more than 50% of the time, correlative relationships in studies do not indicate causal ones. Taking that as a prior, and lacking any evidence to the contrary, it is indeed correct to say "it is most likely that ...".
Correlation usually does not indicate causation. I.e. more than 50% of the time, correlative relationships in studies do not indicate causal ones. Taking that as a prior, and lacking any evidence to the contrary, it is indeed correct to say "it is most likely that ...".