The deployment took place many days ago in reaction to what may have been an act of aggression on the part of Iran involving ballistic missiles and drones.
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| [F-16 Fighting Falcon fully loaded with missiles] |
According to a story that was published by The Washington Post over the weekend, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) recently sent airplanes against Iran from its base in the Persian Gulf after receiving information that the nation was making preparations to strike Saudi Arabia.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the launch took place few days after Riyadh issued a warning to the United States that Iran was contemplating an assault on both Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
The United States military has upgraded its alert level in response to the credible threat of Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes. The White House National Security Council said that it is "concerned about the danger" and is in close touch with the military. with the nation located in the Gulf.
The Central Command's (CENTCOM) spokesperson, Joe Buccio, was quoted in the Washington Post on Saturday as saying, "CENTCOM is dedicated to our long-standing strategic military alliance with Saudi Arabia." He continued by saying, "We are not going to divulge the facts of the operation."
Even if the precise location from where the aircraft took off is unknown, the United States has a substantial number of aviation assets in the Persian Gulf, including F-22 fighter airplanes that are stationed in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Washington Post, the deployment demonstrates that despite its furious reaction to Saudi Arabia's decision last month to cut oil production in the face of global shortages, and the threats of retaliation, the Biden administration is betting that the close security relationship that has existed for decades between Washington and Riyadh can be saved. This is the case despite the fact that threats of retaliation have been made.
The United States of America's defenses in the Middle East include not just these relationships, but also a promise to assist in the protection of vital allies, particularly against Iran.
There are around 2,500 American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia at the moment, the most of which are engaged in intelligence gathering and advanced military training. Nearly three-quarters of all weapon systems that are utilized by the Saudi military are supplied by the United States. This includes continually required components, repairs, and upgrades.
In recent years, the sale of military equipment to the monarchy has been at the center of recurring controversy due to the fact that many members of Congress are opposed to the deal. While President Donald Trump, who has boasted about potential US sales to the Saudis, vetoed attempts by Congress to stop certain transactions, Vice President Joe Biden shortly after taking office barred the kingdom from purchasing US offensive weapons. Trump has boasted about potential US sales to the Saudis.
Since that time, Saudi Arabia has made two significant acquisitions: one of surface-to-air missiles and the other of spare missiles for Patriot air defense batteries. After a visit by Biden to the kingdom in which he allegedly believed he had cemented a deal with the crown prince to do not reduce oil production, an additional order for 300 Patriot missiles, at a cost of more than $3 million each, was approved by the State Department in August. This order came after a visit by Biden to the kingdom.
Despite the fact that Congress did not lodge an official objection to the new sale within the allotted time frame of thirty days, there has been no evidence made public that the next phase in the transaction, which is the signing of a contract with the Department of Defense, has been completed. Lt. Col. Cesar Santiago, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, said on Friday that there is "nothing to disclose at this time" about the sale.
The majority of the systems that are used in that country were purchased by the Saudis many years ago; however, there are still two Patriot systems that are controlled by the United States and are stationed there to protect American personnel from possible missile attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen and, most likely, Iran. they are a part of the royal family.