Runup to another US-led humanitarian and antiquities crisis in the Middle East? After drone strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply, and among mounting US-Iran tensions, the US has announced plans to send forces to Saudi Arabia. The deployment would be "defensive in nature", and the size of the contingent has not yet been decided. US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would "accelerate the delivery of military equipment" to the Saudi state.
The multiple drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil installations have exposed a major gap in its defences. Now the US, its strategic ally, has offered to help plug that gap. A US Navy destroyer is being stationed in the northern Gulf to intercept any missiles coming from that direction. The Pentagon has also announced a further deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia to help the country bolster its anti-missile defences. Further US defensive equipment is being sent to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amid the ongoing tensions with their neighbour, Iran.Earlier on Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling he wanted to avoid military conflict.
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| The Middle East |
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