The US military has deployed two additional Patriot air defence batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in recent weeks to protect key oil and gas facilities. Axios reported that the move was intended to reassure the two countries ahead of a possible resumption of large-scale US military operations against Iran.

Citing two US officials and a regional source, Axios reported on Friday, October 2, that one Patriot battery was transferred to Saudi Arabia last month to protect a major oil facility, while another was deployed to safeguard a natural gas facility in Qatar.

According to the report, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged Donald Trump in early August not to launch another major attack on Iran, including strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure. They feared Iran would retaliate by targeting their oil and gas facilities. US officials told Axios that these concerns were among the main factors behind Trump’s decision to refrain from launching the attack and instead continue applying economic pressure on Iran.

Axios said that if large-scale military operations resume, the US would need Riyadh’s approval to use Saudi airspace, and Saudi officials would be unlikely to grant such a request without assurances that their oil facilities were adequately protected. Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, declined to comment on the deployment of the new Patriot batteries.

The deployments come as the US expands its military presence in the Middle East. According to Axios, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group left San Diego for the region on Sunday and are expected to arrive around mid-November. The aircraft carriers USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington are already in the region. However, a US official said it remained unclear whether the Theodore Roosevelt would replace one of the carriers or join them.

The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, comprising three vessels and thousands of US Marines, is also heading to the Middle East and is expected to arrive by the end of November. Reuters has also reported an increase in US troop and military equipment deployments to the region amid renewed tensions with Iran.

The additional Patriot deployments come as wars and military operations in recent months have placed significant pressure on US interceptor missile stockpiles. Reuters reported that supplies of some key US weapons, including Patriot missiles, have been severely depleted and could take years to replenish.