On Friday, the US disclosed it would deploy additional troops to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in response to the strike on Saudi oil fields, which the US has blamed on Iran.
Describing the attack as a “dramatic escalation of Iranian aggression,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper briefed media at the Pentagon that the troops would be “defensive in nature and primarily focused on air and missile defense” after the attacks on Saudi oil facilities attacks which according to Esper, “all indications are that Iran was responsible for.”
“Right now we’re focused on helping the Saudis improve their defense infrastructure,” Esper said. Washington’s goal is to send a “clear message” that the United States supports its allies in the region, will defend the free flow of trade through the Persian Gulf and demonstrate its commitment to the rules-based international order.
“As the President has made clear, the United States does not seek conflict with Iran,” Esper added, “that said, we have many other military options available should they be necessary.”
The US President Donald Trump said Iran is “going to hell”.
“It’s too bad what’s happened to Iran, it’s going to hell, doing poorly, they’re practically broke. They are broke. And they could solve the problem very easily. All they have to do is stop with the terror,” Trump said.
Trump made the announcement as he was ready to meet with his national security council to consider options for responding to the attack, which US officials claim was carried out by drone and missiles.
The drone strikes on plants in the center of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry impacted the world’s biggest petroleum-refining facility as well as a nearby oil field, both of which are operated by energy giant Aramco.
Together both, field and refinery account for about 50% of Saudi Arabia’s oil production and 5% of daily global oil production. It could take months before the facilities come back to normal operations.