The Pentagon has said US troops are being deployed to Saudi Arabia to defend American interests from “emergent credible threats”.
The move comes amid heightened tensions with Iran over the safety of shipping lanes in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia confirmed that King Salman had approved the move “to strengthen regional security and stability”.
In June, the Pentagon said it would deploy 1,000 troops to the Middle East but did not say where they were going.
The kingdom has not hosted US forces since 2003 when they withdrew at the end of the war with Iraq.
The US presence in Saudi Arabia started with Operation Desert Storm in 1991, when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
Via Reuters/The Guardian/Arab News
