Shafaqna Pakistan: The US military has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in recent weeks to bolster protection for critical oil and gas facilities amid the possibility of renewed American military action against Iran, Axios reported, citing two US officials and a regional source.
According to the report, one Patriot battery was stationed in Saudi Arabia to safeguard a key oil facility, while the second was deployed to Qatar to protect a natural gas installation.
Axios reported that the deployments were aimed at reassuring the two US allies that Washington would support efforts to defend their energy infrastructure should President Donald Trump decide to resume major combat operations against Iran.
Saudi and Qatari leaders had urged Trump in August not to launch strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, fearing Tehran could retaliate against their own oil and gas facilities, the report said. US officials told Axios those concerns were a key factor in Trump opting at the time for an economic pressure campaign instead.
The deployments come as Washington sends additional warships, troops and aircraft to the Middle East. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group are among the forces heading to the region.
Source: Dunya News
