Saudi Arabia to control US naval force in the Arabian Gulf
A senior official in the US administration said, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will take command of the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) in the Arabian Gulf under the US Central Command.
The US official added in a press statement in Jeddah: “This is an important matter. They (Saudi Arabia) will lead a task force in the northern Arabian Gulf,” noting that US President Joe Biden will discuss “integrated missile and defense capabilities” during the Jeddah summit.
The CTF-150 operates in an area extending over two million square miles, covering the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and the northern Indian Ocean.
The US official revealed that Biden will announce, Saturday, during the Jeddah summit, “the United States allocating one billion dollars in new aid in the short and long term for food security in the Middle East and North Africa.” As reported by “Reuters”.
The aforementioned official also stated that “the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will also commit to providing $3 billion over the next two years in projects in line with US partnerships in global infrastructure and investment.”
Turning to the issue of energy supplies, the US official said, “We hope that OPEC will issue an announcement in the coming weeks about increasing oil production.”
On Friday, US President Joe Biden announced that he would set a decisive framework for the United States’ participation in the Middle East, stressing that his country would leave a void for China and Russia in the region.
Biden added in a speech from Jeddah, following the announcement of linking the Iraqi electrical grid to the Gulf grid through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia: “Tomorrow we will reach more with 9 leaders of the region’s countries, and we will discuss commitments of billions of dollars to help countries that do not have sufficient capabilities to meet the needs of their people.”
