Trump Sending Troops To Middle East After Attack On Saudi Oil Facilities

By Richard Gonzales / NPR

Published September 20, 2019 at 2:32 PM PDT

This story was published more than 5 years ago.

Workers fix damage at Saudi Aramco's Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia on Friday after it was hit during a Sept. 14 attack.

President Trump has authorized the deployment of additional U.S. forces to the Middle East to strengthen air and missile defenses around Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Pentagon announced late Friday.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper called the move a first step and said the deployment would be defensive in nature. He said the deployment comes in response to requests for help from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the deployment moderate, but offered no specifics on the number of troops involved. He said the Pentagon would have more to say about the deployment next week.

Become a KPBS sponsor

The announcement appears to signal that President Trump has not yet decided whether to order to a military strike against Iran, which the administration has said was behind the attack on Saudi oil facilities.