The US has announced plans to send forces to Saudi Arabia in the wake of attacks against the country’s oil infrastructure.
The Pentagon said on Friday that the US will deploy additional troops and military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to beef up security.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said this is a first step, and he is not ruling out additional moves down the road. He said it’s a response to requests from the Saudis and the UAE to help improve their air and missile defences.
The Pentagon said the US troop deployment would involve a moderate number of forces, not numbering thousands, and would be primarily defensive in nature.
It also detailed plans to expedite delivery of military equipment to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have been locked in a war with a Saudi-UAE-led coalition since 2015, claimed responsibility for the attacks, warning Saudi Arabia that their targets “will keep expanding”.
But Saudi and US officials have said that evidence shows Iranian involvement in last weekend’s attacks – an allegation Tehran denies.
