US allays Gulf fears over Iran deal

The Pentagon said it maintained a military presence of more than 35,000 military personnel in and immediately around the Gulf.

by

Allan Jacob

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Published: Fri 20 Dec 2013, 11:57 PM

Last updated: Thu 20 Feb 2020, 9:57 AM


An AV-8B Harrier II takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Arabian Gulf. — Supplied photo courtesy US Navy
The interim nuclear deal between global powers and Iran may have raised the hackles of GCC countries, but the Pentagon says US forces are maintaining a robust presence in the region and will stand by its allies to ensure their security. It is also becoming increasingly evident the US has softened its stance on Syria, and has ruled out a military solution to the conflict in that country despite criticism from Gulf countries for its failure to strike the Bashar Al Assad regime.
“Absolutely not. Again, as the Secretary noted in Manama last week, our commitment to the security of the Gulf region has never been stronger, and we are not going anywhere,” said Commander William Speaks from the Office of the Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel, replying to questions from Khaleej Times.
On Syria, it is clear the US is striving for a political and diplomatic endgame and will not go back to a military option. “We have always said there is no military solution to the civil war in Syria,” the Pentagon official said.
The Pentagon said it maintained a military presence of more than 35,000 military personnel in and immediately around the Gulf, even as forces have pulled out of Iraq, and continue to draw down in Afghanistan.
US forces include 10,000 forward-deployed soldiers, along with heavy armour, artillery, and attack helicopters. Advanced fighter aircraft include F-22s, advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets have also been deployed along with a range of missile defence capabilities, including ballistic missile defence ships, Patriot batteries and sophisticated radar. This proved the US commitment to the security of its GCC allies, the Pentagon official said.
As further proof of its priorities in the region despite budget constraints, Commander Speaks said the US Navy’s 5th Fleet had recently increased its presence and had added the Afloat Forward Staging Base (USS Ponce), an additional five Coastal Patrol craft, and mine countermeasures forces. ‘‘We are working on a $580 million construction programme to allow larger ships to dock at our naval facilities in (Bahrain),” he said.
Over 40 US naval ships patrol the Middle East, including a carrier strike group, which ensure commerce at sea is not disrupted. The operations included approximately 50 transits of the Strait of Hormuz over the past six months. Some 35 per cent of the world’s oil passes through this narrow waterway.
Defence Secretary Hagel last week said US military sales over the years had shifted the military balance away from Iran to the Gulf countries, and this was gaining speed. He said the US had approved $75 billion in arms sales to GCC states since 2007. “These sales during the past six years are worth nearly as much as those made totally in the previous 15 years,” he had said.
On the proposed GCC military union and growing concerns over the Iran nuclear deal, Commander Speaks again referred to Hagel’s remarks in Manama where he said the US was keen on promoting multilateral cooperation between its allies and partners.
Hagel had said the United States was keen to support the GCC as an anchor for regional stability. “The United States will continue to work closely with each of our partners in the GCC, but we must remain together, and we must do more to strengthen multilateral defence cooperation,” he said.
The defence secretary later lifted the veil of secrecy over US military assets in the region with a visit to the Combined Air and Space Operations Centre in Qatar in a bid at transparency.
Syrian crisis drags on
Analysts, however, said the easing of some Iran sanctions would allow it to increase its support to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. “The civil war in Syria is unlikely to end anytime in the coming one or two years,’’ said Firas Abi Ali, Head of Middle East Analysis, IHS Country Risk.
“Saudi Arabia will likely respond to the Iran-P5+1 deal by significantly stepping up arms shipments of anti-tank and potentially anti-aircraft weapons to the Syrian opposition through Jordan,” he said.
allan@khaleejtimes.com


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