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The US government has restated its commitment to the Middle East, despite plans for regional naval coalition involving Iran.
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The United States has more than 30,000 troops deployed across multiple locations in the Middle East despite the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and drawdown in Iraq, said Dana Stroul, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East.
“The significant capabilities across our Navy, our Air Force, our Army, and our Marines; it’s still in the region,” said Assistant Secretary Stroul.
“They’re still doing those important activities every day.
“What our friends and allies in the Middle East don’t hear is ... how the United States racks and stacks the threats and how we’re going to prepare for them.
“People are nervous. They think it (the Ukraine War) means that the United States and the US government is deprioritising the Middle East.”
Iran and Iran’s efforts to have a nuclear weapon, are still the preeminent threat in the Middle East, Stroul said.
“President Biden has been quite clear that on his watch, Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon, and he means it,” Stroul said.
“Our partnership in the Department of Defense with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israeli Defense Forces is incredibly important. We are working every day to deepen and increase our military cooperation with Israel.”
“It’s also to make sure that both our other friends and allies in the region and our adversaries are taking note of the critical work we’re doing together to be prepared should military force be required.”
The public announcement of continuing support for the Middle East coincides with plans for a regional naval coalition broadcast by Iran.
The Iranian army’s navy commander, Shahram Irani, reportedly said Iran, Saudi Arabia, and three other Persian Gulf states are in negotiations to form a naval alliance, including India and Pakistan.
“The countries of the region have today realised that only cooperation with each other brings security to the area,” he said.
Commander Irani said states taking part in the alliance include United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Pakistan, and India.
The Middle East appears to be in a significant phase of change with Iran recently ending seven years of conflict with Saudi Arabia through a China-brokered agreement in March this year and the United Arab Emirates withdrawing from a United States-led maritime coalition in May this year.
