The US Department of Defense announced that it has begun reducing its air defense systems in the Middle East, after it had worked to strengthen them in 2019 and 2020 against the backdrop of tensions with Iran, confirming information reported by The Wall Street Journal .
Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica McNulty said – in a statement on Friday – that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “has ordered that this summer some forces and capabilities be withdrawn from the region,” noting that it is “primarily air defense equipment.”
“Some of this equipment will be returned to the United States for maintenance and repairs that have become absolutely necessary, and some will be moved to other regions,” she added.
The spokeswoman did not say whether the equipment would be redeployed to the Indo-Pacific; Where the Pentagon wants to focus its efforts in the face of the rising influence of China, saying, “We will not give details.”
She pointed out that “this decision was taken in close coordination with the host countries and with a clear vision to preserve our ability to fulfill our security obligations.”
According to the Wall Street Journal; In early June, the Pentagon began withdrawing 8 anti-missile batteries from Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, in addition to the THAAD anti-missile shield that was deployed in Saudi Arabia.
According to officials quoted by the same newspaper, the recent US military cuts – which had not been reported before – began earlier this month, after a call on June 2, in which US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed. Mohammed bin Salman changes.
Hundreds of soldiers left
Each anti-missile battery requires hundreds of soldiers and personnel to operate and support.
“We maintain a strong military presence in the region, commensurate with the threat, and we are confident that these changes will not affect our national security interests,” the spokeswoman added. “We also maintain the flexibility to quickly return forces to the Middle East if needed,” she added.
“The Department of Defense maintains tens of thousands of troops in the Middle East, representing some of our most advanced air and naval capabilities, in support of US national interests and our regional partnerships,” McNulty said.
The United States is currently working to withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan, and has reduced many of its military forces in Iraq to 2,500 last year.
Several Patriot batteries were sent as part of reinforcements to the region after the killing of the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Major General Qassem Soleimani, in a US strike in January 2020. The THAAD system was deployed in Saudi Arabia after air strikes targeting two strategic oil sites in the kingdom, which Tehran was accused of being behind.
ambiguity
In a related context, James Farwell, the former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategic Support Affairs, said that the United States’ withdrawal of missile batteries comes within the framework of Washington’s review of its military status in the region.
He added – in an interview with Al Jazeera – that the United States may focus on using diplomacy more than military capabilities in the region.
Farwell indicated that Washington’s withdrawal of missile batteries from the region does not mean that Iran is not a threat. He added that the view in Washington is that there will be no war in Iran in light of the progress in the negotiations.
For his part, the military and strategic expert Mamoun Abu Nowar said that the US justification for withdrawing the Patriot batteries is ambiguous.
He added – in an interview with Al Jazeera – that this is not the first time for US forces to be withdrawn from the region, but he indicated that there is a question about withdrawing THAAD anti-ballistic missiles, whether Houthi or Iranian.