- Trump said Thursday he plans to resume a bombing campaign in the coming weeks. “Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal or it will no longer exist,” he said.
Flashback: In early August, as Trump considered launching a massive attack that included strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar pressured him not to do so. They expressed serious concern that Iran might strike their oil and gas facilities in retaliation.
- U.S. officials said the calls were a key reason Trump decided not to attack and instead move toward an economic pressure campaign.
Behind the scenes: Last month, the U.S. military sent an additional Patriot battery to Saudi Arabia to protect a key oil installation. Another Patriot battery was sent to Qatar to protect a natural gas facility.
- The United States will need Saudi Arabia to allow it to use the country’s airspace if significant combat operations resume. But the Saudis are unlikely to grant permission if they believe the oil installations will not be protected.
- A spokesman for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Capt. Tim Hawkins, declined to comment.
Reality check: Patriot batteries and especially their interceptors have become a highly sought after product since the start of the war in Iran.
- The U.S. military has transferred batteries and interceptors to the Middle East from other regional commands, raising concerns about readiness in other parts of the world.
State of play: The U.S. military is sending more warships, fighter jets and troops to the Middle East in anticipation of a possible resumption of war.
- A U.S. official said the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group left San Diego “quietly” on Sunday heading to the region. It is expected to arrive in the Middle East around mid-November.
- The Roosevelt will join the USS George HW Bush, which has been in the region since March, and the USS George Washington, which was sent from Japan over the summer and has only been in the region for about a month.
- “That means the Middle East region could potentially have up to three carrier strike groups. That’s a lot more firepower,” the U.S. official said.
- But another U.S. official said it had not been determined whether the Roosevelt would replace or add to any of the aircraft carriers currently deployed in the Middle East.
Zoom: The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, which includes three amphibious ships carrying thousands of Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, departed Monday for the region, a U.S. official said.
- It is expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of November and join another amphibious group and maritime expeditionary unit deployed to the region in recent months.
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