US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for the withdrawal of the Patriot air defense systems from Saudi Arabia not to be seen as a way to “pressure” Riyadh on oil issues.
Pompeo said in a newspaper interview yesterday, Friday, commenting on the withdrawal of the “Patriot” from Saudi Arabia: “I would like to make it clear … these Patriot batteries have been deployed for a while and the forces must return, and they need to be redeployed,” noting that the Ministry of Defense may reveal More details on this.
He continued, “But this was not an acknowledgment of the reduced risk. I would like it to be like this, and I would like the Islamic Republic of Iran to change its behavior, but the danger remains. ”
He added, “This is not a reduction in our support for Saudi Arabia, and we are doing everything we can to ensure its security and provide it with air defense systems so that the Iranians cannot threaten it.”
He continued: “This was not in any way an attempt to pressure them (the Saudis) on oil. This is a normal movement of forces, and I think the Iranian regime knows that, too. They can see that we still have the capabilities to continue the campaign of maximum pressure and deterrence in the region. ”
This came in response to media reports about the United States withdrawing its Patriot missile batteries from Saudi Arabia.
Some reports also suggested that the United States is reducing its military presence in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to pressure Riyadh in relation to the oil market.
Source: RT
