“Consistent with the President’s guidance to increase partner burden-sharing, the Department of Defense has engaged Saudi Arabia on sharing the cost of these deployments, which support regional security and dissuade hostility and aggression. The Saudi government has agreed to help underwrite the cost of these activities and has made the first contribution,” said Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, Pentagon spokeswoman. “Discussions are ongoing to formalize a mechanism for future contributions that offset the cost of these deployments.” The US has deployed thousands of additional US troops and missile defense batteries to Saudi Arabia in response to what Pentagon officials have said is an increased threat from Iran.
The Saudi funds are to cover the overall costs of deploying troops, as well as fighter jets and Patriot missile defense batteries to protect Saudi oil installations from Iranian missile and drone attacks. The deployments began after what the Saudis said were Iranian attacks on oil facilities in September 2019. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. The US and several European nations blamed Iran for a missile attack that targeted Saudi energy facilities temporarily affecting the country’s ability to produce oil. The military buildup has come despite Trump repeatedly claiming that he wants to reduce the US military commitment in the Middle East, a pledge that he cited when he ordered the reduction of US troops in Syria, a move that received broad bipartisan opposition in Congress, as many lawmakers see it as an abandonment of America’s partner in the fight against ISIS, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
