Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries approve redeployment of US forces: report

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and number of Gulf countries have approved request of the United States to redeploy its forces in the waters and territories of the Arabian Gulf, Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported Saturday.

The request has been approved to thwart possible Iranian attacks in the region and not trigger a war with Tehran, the Saudi daily quoted informed Gulf sources as saying.

“Saudi Arabia and the rest of GCC states do not wish to start a war with Iran, but they want to send a strong message to Tehran that it cannot cross the red line by continuing to provoke forces operating in the Arabian Gulf,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday.

The sources added that Riyadh and the other GCC capitals do not wish to engage in a military confrontation with Iran because no party would benefit from such actions.

The sources said the redeployment of US forces in the Gulf states was part of joint US-Gulf efforts to deter Iran and aimed to have better cooperation between American and Gulf military forces.