US pulls two Patriot missile batteries and some fighter aircraft out of Saudi Arabia, says an official, amid tensions between kingdom and Trump administration over oil production
FILE PHOTO: In this February 20, 2020 photo, a member of the US Air Force stands near a Patriot missile battery at the Prince Sultan air base in al Kharj, central Saudi Arabia.
About 300 troops that staff the two batteries would also leave Saudi Arabia, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. Asked about the move Thursday, President Donald Trump said, “We’re making a lot of moves in the Middle East and elsewhere. We do a lot of things all over the world, militarily we’ve been taken advantage of all over the world."
The volatility and price crash in oil hurt US shale producers, leading to layoffs in the industry, particularly in Republican-run states. The Saudi government and the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. State-run media in the kingdom similarly did not immediately acknowledge the troop removal.
In response, Iran on January 8 fired ballistic missiles at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq where US troops were stationed. More than 100 troops were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.
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