US building ‘maritime and air defense’ system in Mideast to counter ‘imminent threats’
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Alaina
- . November 21, 2022
- . Update: November 22, 2022 1:32 am
During a period of concern with Iran, the US is bolstering defense capabilities in the Middle East, a US official said on Sunday, adding that Tehran has probably abandoned plans to strike Saudi Arabia owing to security cooperation.
According to Brett McGurk, who serves as the National Security Council’s Middle East and North Africa coordinator, his nation is focused on thwarting “imminent threats” in the strategically important but unstable region.
According to McGurk, the chief White House representative for the Middle East, “the United States is now actively constructing and enabling an integrated air and sea defense infrastructure in this region.”
Without going into further detail, he said, “Something long talked about is now being done, through creative alliances and new technologies.”
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General Michael Kurilla, the head of US Central Command, declared during the conference on Saturday that a task force commanded by the US will deploy more than 100 unmanned vessels in the critical seas of the Gulf region by next year in order to fend off maritime threats.
The declarations came after Israel and the US accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack last week off the coast of Oman that struck a tanker run by an Israeli-owned company.
The strike was the most recent in a series of interruptions in Gulf waters, a crucial route for global oil supplies, and it occurred at a time of increased tension between Tehran and Washington.
McGurk confirmed earlier rumors that the Islamic Republic was preparing an attack on its neighbor Saudi Arabia, saying that US forces have “exposed and prevented impending threats” by Iran.
