The US has sent two additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, reinforcing key oil and gas facilities with the high-tech mobile air defence system as President Donald Trump considers renewed military action against Iran. The deployment comes as Gulf governments seek stronger protection for energy sites that could face Iranian retaliation if another round of US strikes begins, Axios reported on Friday.
US officials have said the additional missile batteries are intended to help protect key allies and critical energy infrastructure in the Gulf. The deployment comes after the United States completed the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq.
A July assessment by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that US Patriot interceptor stocks had fallen below 1,000 after months of air-defence operations. Because they feared Tehran could answer by striking their own oil and gas infrastructure, the report said Saudi and Qatari leaders had pressed Trump in August against attacks on Iranian energy sites.
Axios, citing two US officials and a regional source, said one Patriot battery was sent to Saudi Arabia to protect a major oil facility and another was deployed to Qatar to defend a natural gas installation. Iran is preparing a broader response if the US resumes large-scale attacks, according to another news report. CSIS said the reduced inventory could force US forces to take more risk when deciding which incoming threats to intercept.
Iranian officials have also continued diplomatic contacts through regional mediators. Military preparations and talks are now unfolding at the same time, with Gulf bases, energy installations and shipping routes central to planning on both sides. The extra deployments also draw on a weapons system that has been used heavily during the Iran conflict.
