U.S. Bolsters Its Gulf Defenses to Counter Iran by Nancy A. Youssef – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. military plans to deploy a Patriot antimissile system to the Persian Gulf area and will beef up its naval presence in response to growing threats from Iran, the Pentagon said Friday.
The Pentagon wouldn’t say when or where the antimissile battery would be deployed, citing operational security needs. The system will replace one of four antimissile batteries that previously were deployed in the region but were removed last year.
The U.S. also is sending the amphibious assault ship USS Arlington to the Middle East. The ship carries U.S. marines, amphibious vehicles and helicopters that can be used in a range of military operations.
The military deployments came after the Trump administration said on Sunday that it was sending the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its strike group to the region in response to intelligence reports suggesting Iran posed a growing threat to U.S. troops and equipment in the region. The U.S. also sent an Air Force bomber task force to the Middle East…