The United States Deploys Patriot Batteries in Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Riyadh - Afaq News - The U.S. military has sent two batteries of Patriot missiles to the Gulf region in recent weeks, aimed at protecting the oil and gas infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This was reported by Axios, citing two American sources and another regional source.

Axios news site reported, citing American and regional sources, that this step aims to protect the vital oil and natural gas infrastructure in these two countries.

According to the report, this deployment aims to reassure Washington's allies that the United States will protect their vital energy infrastructure if President Donald Trump decides to resume military action against Iran.

These concerns were raised in August when leaders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged Trump to avoid launching a widespread attack on Iran, fearing it could lead to an Iranian response targeting their oil and gas facilities.

American officials stated that these warnings played a crucial role in Trump's decision to abandon a large-scale military strike and instead focus on sanctions and economic pressure. Additionally, Saudi Arabia may face difficulties using its airspace for U.S. military operations if it does not feel that the country's energy infrastructure is adequately protected.

The Central Command of the U.S. Army (CENTCOM) refused to comment on the report.

This announcement comes amid repeated warnings from Trump that he is about to make a decision regarding the Iranian file.

Earlier tonight, during an event in Texas, Trump stated that Iran is "ready to surrender," and reiterated his assessment that the war with Tehran could end shortly after the midterm elections in November.