US Boosts Defences in Saudi, Qatar with Additional Patriot Deployments

The US has deployed additional Patriot air-defence batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key oil and gas facilities. This move is part of a broader American military build-up in the Middle East, as Washington prepares for the possibility that months of intermittent conflict with Iran could escalate again.

One Patriot battery was sent to Saudi Arabia last month to defend a major oil facility, while another was deployed to Qatar to protect a natural gas installation. These deployments are intended in part to reassure Washington's Gulf allies that the United States would defend their critical energy infrastructure if Trump orders a renewed campaign against Iran.

US officials told Axios that the appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar were an important factor in Trump's decision at the time to hold off on a major attack and instead pursue an economic pressure campaign.