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US military exploring new land and air bases in Saudi Arabia
US military says it has already tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from the country's port at Yanbu, a crucial terminal for oil pipelines in the kingdom.
Some 2,500 American troops man fighter jets and Patriot missile batteries at Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh. ( AP )
The US military has said it is exploring the possibility of using a Red Sea port in Saudi Arabia and an additional two airfields in the kingdom amid heightened tensions with Iran.
While describing the work as "contingency" planning, the US military said on Tuesday it already has tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from Saudi Arabia's port at Yanbu, a crucial terminal for oil pipelines in the kingdom.
Using Yanbu, as well as air bases at Tabuk and Taif along the Red Sea, would give the American military more options along a crucial waterway that has come under increased attack from suspected mine and drone boat attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
However, the announcement comes as Saudi-American relations remain strained by the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the kingdom's ongoing war in Yemen in the first days of President Joe Biden's administration.
Deploying — even temporarily — American troops to bases in the kingdom, which is home to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, could reignite anger among militants.
