US 'removes Patriot anti-missile system from Saudi Arabia' amid oil dispute

The US is removing its Patriot anti-missile system from Saudi Arabia, according to reports, amid strained relations between the allies over oil production. Washington is removing four of its missile batteries along with dozens of military personnel it had sent to the kingdom to combat the threat from Iran, following a devastating attack on Saudi’s oil facilities. According to the Wall Street Journal, quoting US officials, it will also consider a reduction in the US Navy presence in the Persian Gulf. The paper reported that the decision followed a reassessment by the Pentagon of the threat Tehran posed, no longer deeming it to be an immediate risk to US strategic interests. The Trump administration has led a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, escalating tensions between the two to their highest level in decades. A September drone attack on Abqaiq oil field, which was widely blamed on the Islamic Republic, crippled the world’s largest oil processing plant and sent prices spiralling.