Brief Analysis
Washington can do much to help the kingdom close its serious air defense gaps, whereas acquiring Russian S-400s would be militarily insufficient and strategically disastrous.
When Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov visited Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman on March 10, the London-based news outlet
Al-Arab reported that the S-400 air defense system “would be among the topics discussed in Riyadh, which needs advanced systems to counter Iranian threats.” The paper also characterized Lavrov’s Gulf tour as a Russian effort “to exploit Washington’s errors diplomatically, militarily, and economically.”
Indeed, the Biden administration has had to balance carefully between showing that it can advance human rights and avoiding moves that damage U.S. relations with Gulf governments. At the same time, Riyadh is looking to Washington for support amid sustained aerial threats from Iran and its regional proxies. If handled properly, the two issues can serve
China, North Korea top agenda as Blinken begins first Asian tour aljazeera.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aljazeera.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Posted : 2021-03-12 14:25
Updated : 2021-03-12 14:25
This file photo taken April 26, 2017, shows South Korean and U.S. soldiers watching from an observation post during a joint live firing drill between the two countries at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, 65 kilometers northeast of Seoul. AFP
The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday its commander s recent remark on a plan to build new missile defense capabilities on the Korean Peninsula does not involve the introduction of new equipment or units.
Gen. Robert Abrams said Wednesday that the United States will deploy two specific anti-ballistic missile capabilities in South Korea this year in addition to one that is already in place. His remarks raised speculation that the U.S. might be considering bringing in an additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system or other advanced anti-missile assets to the peninsula.