The U.S. military has sent additional Patriot air defense missile batteries to protect oil and gas…
Armed Conflict · · Washington, United States
The U.S. military has sent additional Patriot air defense missile batteries to protect oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to two U.S. officials and a regional source who spoke to Axios. One battery went to a Saudi oil facility, another to a Qatari gas facility, officials say the move is meant to reassure both allies their energy infrastructure will be protected if President Trump resumes major strikes on Iran. Officials from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment.
President Donald J. Trump said Thursday he's weighing renewed bombing in the coming weeks: "Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal, or it won't exist any longer." Officials say Saudi and Qatari leaders lobbied Trump in August against striking Iranian energy infrastructure, warning of retaliation against their own facilities, and that this was a key reason he pulled back toward economic pressure instead at the time. The U.S. is expected to need Saudi airspace access for any renewed operations.
Patriot batteries and interceptors have grown scarce since the war began, with the U.S. pulling them from other regional commands to supply the Middle East, raising readiness concerns elsewhere, according to the report.
The U.S. is also building up forces in the region. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group left San Diego Sunday, expected to arrive by mid-November, which would potentially put three carrier strike groups (CSGs) in the Middle East alongside the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington CSGs. One official called it "much more firepower" while another said it's undetermined whether the Roosevelt will replace an existing carrier or add to the current deployment.
The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, carrying Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, left Monday and is expected to arrive in the region by late November.
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Source: @OSINTdefender
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