WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. response to attacks on the Saudi oil industry (all times local):
6:45 p.m.
The
Pentagon says the U.S. will deploy additional troops and military
equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to beef up
security, as President Donald Trump has at least for now decided against
any immediate military strike on Iran in response to the attack on the
Saudi oil industry.
Defense Secretary Mark
Esper says this is a first step, and he is not ruling out additional
moves down the road. He says it’s a response to requests from the Saudis
and the UAE to help improve their air and missile defenses.
Esper
and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, say
details of the deployments will be determined over the coming days.
__
1:20 p.m.
President
Donald Trump is signaling that he’s not inclined to authorize an
immediate military strike on Iran in response to the attacks on the
Saudi oil industry, saying he believes showing restraint “shows far more
strength” and he wants to avoid an all-out war.
Trump has laid out new sanctions on the Iranian central bank.
Trump
spoke just before he gathered his national security team at the White
House to discuss how to respond to the weekend drone and missile attack
on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. He left the door open a bit for a later military response, saying people
thought he’d attack Iran “within two seconds.” But he says he has
“plenty of time.”
No comments:
Post a Comment