Fulfilling urgent request, arms were transferred in past month after Saudi military sought new supply to repel drone, missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
An attack on Saudi Aramco oil facilities has led to an escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Iran. While Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are pointing to evidence Iran was involved.
Consequently, the Biden administration has therefore transferred a significant number of Patriot antimissile interceptors to Saudi Arabia within the past month, fulfilling Riyadh’s urgent request for a resupply amid sharp tensions in the relationship, senior U.S. officials said.
The transfers sought 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, one of the officials said.
