US pulls out Patriot missile defence systems from Gulf to deploy it against

Washington: The United States has withdrawn the Patriot systems deployed for Saudi Arabia’s security and the other Gulf allies. The US military will also be drawn in the coming times. A leading US newspaper claimed that the Patriot systems and other weaponry were withdrawn from the Gulf will be deployed by the United States against Russia and China shortly. The US newspaper reminded that President Joe Biden had issued a warning to that effect.

US President Joe Biden has issued orders to the Pentagon to withdraw the military from the Persian Gulf. Against this background, Pentagon has moved three Patriot systems deployed in Saudi Arabia. These also include the Patriot air defence system deployed at the Prince Sultan airbase. The Wall Street Journal, a leading US newspaper, reported that the United States has even recalled the aircraft carrier and the espionage systems deployed in the Persian Gulf.

The Pentagon is also contemplating withdrawing the THAAD missile defence systems, drones and missile defence batteries from the region. It is being said that along with the weaponry, and the Pentagon is also thinking of reducing the number of soldiers deployed in the Persian Gulf region. At the beginning of the year, there were nearly 90,000 soldiers deployed in the area. Former President Donald Trump had increased the number of soldiers deployed in the Persian Gulf to increase tension with Iran.

Currently, there are about 50,000 US soldiers deployed in the region. As per the US newspaper, this number will be reduced. President Biden had announced that if he became the US President, the number of soldiers deployed in the Gulf would be reduced. The US newspaper is pointing out that the Biden administration is reducing the deployment against this background.

It is claimed that this reduction in military deployment can impact the security of Saudi Arabia and the Arab allies. But as per Pentagon officials, there will be no change in the US policies regarding Saudi Arabia’s protection. At the same time, Pentagon expects that Saudi Arabia should take responsibility for its security. The concerned newspaper said that the United States would be deploying a ‘Tiger Team’ in Saudi Arabia for this purpose.

The US newspaper said that the United States could deploy these weapon systems, withdrawn from the Gulf against Russia and China in the coming time, because of the rising threat from these countries. Reacting to the news report, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby pointed out that the first visit of US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin was to the Indo-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, as the United States is withdrawing from the Persian Gulf, the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle reached the sector and its fleet of warships. In the absence of the US warship, the command of the navy in the Persian Gulf will be with the French warship. As per the received information, this deployment will continue for the next few weeks.