Biden Pulling Out Three Defensive Missile Batteries From Middle East A reduced U.S. military presence in the Middle East is empowering Iran and pushing Gulf states to unite. A U.S. soldier stands with a Patriot missile system in the background BULENT KILIC/AFP/GETTY IMAGES In his foreign-policy speech on February 4, Joe Biden announced that the United States would be taking “additional steps to course-correct our foreign policy.” He pledged to end the war in Yemen and recalibrate the U.S.-Saudi relationship, including freezing the sale of offensive weapons that Saudi Arabia has used in its six-year battle in Yemen.