Saudi Arabia has received Patriot antimissile interceptors in recent weeks
The Biden administration has transferred a number of Patriot antimissile interceptors to Saudi Arabia within the past month.
The official said the decision was in line with President Joe Biden’s promise that “America will have the backs of our friends in the region.”
One of the objectives behind the transfer is to ensure that Saudi Arabia is adequately supplied with the defensive munitions it needs to fend off drone and missile attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.
The system was sent to fulfill urgent request for a resupply despite sharp tensions in the relationship between Washington and Riyadh, according to senior U.S. officials.
The U.S.-Saudi ties have remained strained since Biden took office. U.S. president has refused to deal directly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and has removed the Houthis from a list of designated terrorist groups.
On March 20, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan denounced the “terrorist” strikes against civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabua, saying Washington will continue to fully support its partners “in the defence of their territory from Houthi attacks”.
Sullivan pointed to Tehran’s role in the Houthi attacks. He said, “The Houthis launch these terrorist attacks with enabling by Iran, which supplies them with missile and UAV components, training, and expertise, he said.
“This is done in violation of UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting the import of weapons into Yemen.”
