Bracing for the revival of Iran’s attacks on Gulf oil allies, the Trump administration has begun deploying troop reinforcements to Saudi Arabia. The first 500 troops of the 1,000 announced by the Pentagon arrived this week at the Prince Sultan Air Base east of the capital, US media reported on Thursday, July 18, along with several Patriot anti-air anti-missile batteries.
They landed the day after the pro-Iranian Yemeni Houthi insurgents claimed another drone attack on the southern Saudi Jizan regional airport. Intelligence reaching Washington reveals that pro-Iranian Iraqi Shiite militias are about to expand their participation in Tehran’s reprisals for US sanctions by mounting explosive drone attacks on Saudi Arabia or even missiles from across the Iraq border.
In London, the Royal Navy announced the dispatch of a third warship to the Gulf region as escorts for oil tankers. The HMS Kent guided missile frigate will follow the HNK Duncan which is on its way there.
DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources report that the positioning of the new US troop reinforcements opposite the Saudi border with Iraq is in preparation for Tehran to make Iraq its main launching pad for the coming spate of proxy attacks on American targets and US allies in the region. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was recently reported to be considering shuttering the US embassy in Baghdad and evacuating American diplomats from the country.
Our sources add that the next targets of Iran’s anti-American ire may include Israel and those attacks may also come from Iraq.
