DUBAI, UAE – In recent weeks, the United States has withdrawn its most advanced Patriot missile and battery defense system from Saudi Arabia, even as the kingdom faced continued airstrikes by Houthi rebels of Yemen, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press.
The redistribution of Prince Sultan’s air base defenses outside Riyadh occurred as Arab allies in the Gulf of America nervously watched the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan., including his last-minute evacuations from the besieged Kabul International Airport.
While tens of thousands of U.S. forces remain across the Arabian Peninsula as a counterweight to Iran, the Arab nations of the Gulf are worried about the future plans of the United States, as its military perceives a growing threat in Asia. which requires these missile defenses. Tensions remain high as negotiations stall in Vienna over the collapsed Iranian nuclear deal with world powers, increasing the danger of future clashes in the region.
“Perceptions matter whether or not they are rooted in a cold, cold reality. And the perception is very clear that the U.S. is not as committed to the Gulf as it used to be in the opinion of many people with decision-making authority in the region, “said Kristian Ulrichsen, a researcher at James A. Baker. III Rice University Institute of Public Policy.
“From the Saudi point of view, they now see Obama, Trump and Biden – three successive presidents – making decisions that mean to some extent an abandonment.”
Prince Sultan Air Base, about 115 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of Riyadh, has hosted several thousand U.S. troops. from a 2019 missile and drone attack at the heart of the kingdom’s oil production. This attack, although claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, appears to have been carried out by Iran, according to experts and the physical waste left behind. Tehran has denied launching the attack, although a drill in January saw Iranian paramilitary forces use similar drones..
Just southwest of the air base runway, a 1-square-kilometer (third-square-mile) area opened by a ground berm saw Patriot missile batteries from the U.S. forces station, as well as a advanced defense of the high altitude area of the terminal. according to satellite images from Planet Labs Inc. A THAAD can destroy ballistic missiles at a higher altitude than the Patriots.
A satellite image seen by the AP in late August showed some of the batteries removed from the area, although activity and vehicles could be seen there. A high-resolution satellite photograph of the Planet Lab taken on Friday showed the site’s battery pads empty, with no visible activity.
For months, a redistribution of missiles has been rumored, in part because of a desire to confront what US officials see as the “conflict of the great powers” approaching China and Russia. However, the withdrawal came just as a Houthi drone attack on Saudi Arabia injured eight people and damaged a commercial aircraft. at the kingdom airport in Abha. The kingdom has been locked in a stalemate with the Houthis since March 2015.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby acknowledged “the redistribution of certain air defense assets” after receiving questions from the PA. He said the United States maintained a “broad and deep” commitment to its Middle East allies.
“The Department of Defense continues to maintain tens of thousands of forces and a robust position of strength in the Middle East that represents some of our most advanced maritime and air power capabilities, in support of U.S. national interests and our partnerships. regionals, ”Kirby said.
In a statement to the PA, the Saudi Ministry of Defense described the kingdom’s relationship with the United States as “strong, long-standing and historic,” even acknowledging the withdrawal of U.S. missile defense systems. He said the Saudi army “is able to defend its lands, seas and airspace and protect its people.”
“The resettlement of some of the defense capabilities of the kind United States of America from the region is carried out through common understanding and realignment of defense strategies as an attribute of deployment and operational readiness,” the statement said.
Despite these assurances, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, the kingdom’s former intelligence chief, whose public remarks often follow the thoughts of his ruling family Al Saud, has linked Patriot missile deployments directly to the U.S. relationship with Riyadh.
“I think we need to be reassured about the American commitment,” the prince told CNBC in an interview this week.. “It seems, for example, not to withdraw Patriot missiles from Saudi Arabia at a time when Saudi Arabia is the victim of missile attacks and drone attacks, not only from Yemen, but from Iran.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on a tour of the Middle East in recent days, was due to go to Saudi Arabia, but the trip was canceled due to what U.S. officials they called schedule issues. Saudi Arabia refused to discuss why the Austin trip did not take place after the withdrawal of missile defenses.
Saudi Arabia maintains its own Patriot missile batteries and typically fires two missiles at an incoming target. This has become an expensive proposition in the middle of the Houthi campaign, as each Patriot missile costs more than $ 3 million. The kingdom also claims to intercept almost all missiles and drones launched into the kingdom, an incredibly high success rate previously questioned by experts..
While Greece agreed in April to lend a battery of Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia, the timing of U.S. withdrawals comes amid greater uncertainty about the U.S. stance in the region. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries have renewed diplomacy with Iran as cover.
“I think we saw in Biden’s statements about Afghanistan, the way he said things that will clearly put the interests of the United States first, and it was obviously a disappointment to partners and allies around the world. that maybe they were expecting something different after Trump. ” said Ulrichsen, researcher. “It sounds pretty similar to an ‘America First’ approach, just a kind of different tone.”
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Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Aya Batrawy contributed to this report.
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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.