Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington. AP
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington. AP
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington. AP
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington. AP

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US will keep strengthening Middle Eastern defences, Pentagon says

'Appropriate' self-defence capabilities needed to fend of threat from Iran and its proxies, John Kirby says

The National

February 11, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

The US will keep helping Middle East allies boost their defensive capabilities against missile threats from Iran and Tehran-backed militias in the region, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has said.

Mr Kirby said Thursday's drone attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia's commercial airport in Abha, in which at least 12 civilians were injured, highlighted the risk the group poses to the region.

“That's unacceptable,” Mr Kirby said of the attack, speaking in an interview published on Friday by Sky News Arabia.

“We're going to continue to work on making sure we have appropriate self-defence capabilities available to not just us, but to our partners.”

He added the US must “continue to improve our ability to monitor the Iranian threat and continue to improve inter-agency — as well as international — pressure on Iran".

The Pentagon this month announced it was sending fighter jets and a warship to support the UAE following three recent attacks by the Houthi rebels.

Emiratis are “under threat”, Mr Kirby said.

“They're good partners in the region, good strategic partners. And we take that partnership seriously.”

On the Iran nuclear deal, Mr Kirby reiterated his concern that Tehran's time to develop a nuclear weapon is shortening.

“They have shrunk that breakout time and in a quite worrisome way,” he said. “We know they continue to develop this programme. We've been very clear that we are not going to see a nuclear-capable, nuclear-armed Iran and we're going to continue to work with our partners to that end.”

But, he stressed, the best way to avoid that outcome is through diplomatic negotiations.

“We’re not there yet” in terms of putting any military options on the table, he noted.

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Updated: June 20, 2023, 10:51 AM`
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