President Donald Trump may be preparing to resume combat operations in Iran after the midterms, which has Gulf allies that host U.S. military bases concerned they will become targets of Iran's strikes.
Khalid Al-Jaber, executive director of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, a research institute in Qatar, told the New York Times that people living in the Gulf fear that it's "just a matter of time" before their countries are pulled back into the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
Al-Jaber said that there is concern the renewed hostilities will be worse than they were earlier in the year. The Gulf countries are still repairing damage to energy infrastructure and radar systems that were damaged in the last round of attacks, in addition to coping with economic disruptions.
Saudi Arabia, which has been the target of frequent missile and drone strikes from the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen, is preparing for renewed hostilities, the Times reported.
Speaking to the press this weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump hasn't made a decision while negotiations with Iran are continuing, but a military response is something America is prepared to do.
The U.S. has reportedly told several allied nations in the Gulf to be prepared for a short, intense military campaign following the midterm elections next month.
The U.S. military is sending an additional Patriot system to Israel from Texas, which will improve missile defenses. The U.S. has also moved troops off bases in the Middle East in response to U.S. intelligence suggesting Iran is preparing to attack Americans.
U.S. forces have also been restocking their munitions, and bomber and fighter aircraft are preparing for strikes, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. military on Monday launched strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strategic waterway, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
The Facts Inside Our Reporter's Notebook
Links
Source link
