Washington: Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has approved a new deployment of Patriot missiles to the Middle East, a US official told Reuters on Friday, in the latest US response to what Washington sees as a growing threat from Iran.

The decision further bolsters US defences and comes after the Trump administration expedited the deployment of a carrier strike group and sent bombers to the Middle East following what it said were troubling indications of possible preparations for an attack by Iran.

The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to say how many Patriot batteries would be deployed. The Patriot missile defence system is made by Raytheon Co. and is designed to intercept incoming missiles.

The decision to send Patriot missiles to the region would mark a reversal of sorts, coming just months after the Pentagon removed several Patriot batteries from the Middle East.

Last year, officials described the withdrawal of the Patriots as part of a broader effort to adjust US military deployments globally, as the Pentagon sought to prioritize military challenges from Russia and China.

RISING TENSIONS

Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated sharply in recent weeks.

The United States has effectively ordered countries worldwide to stop buying Iranian oil or face US sanctions, which Washington says are aimed at completely choking off Iranian crude exports.

Washington last month blacklisted Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group.

US officials say they have detected troubling indications that Iran could be preparing a military response.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say one of the pieces of intelligence indicated Iran had moved missiles on boats. One of the officials said the particular missile observed was perhaps capable of launching from a small ship.

The officials also noted growing concerns about the threat from Iran-backed Shi’ite militia in Iraq, which have long avoided any confrontation with US troops under the shared goal of defeating Islamic State, a Sunni militant organization.

In an advisory posted on Thursday, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) said that since early May there had been an increased possibility of Iran or its regional proxies taking action against US and partner interests.

US B-52 bombers reach Middle East in message to Iran

American B-52 Stratofortress bombers sent to the Middle East over what Washington describes as threats from Iran have arrived at a US base in Qatar, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The US military said on Tuesday that a number of B-52 bombers would be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are ‘clear indications’ of threats from Iran to US forces there.

Iran has dismissed the new US deployments, including of an aircraft carrier, as old news announced now to intimidate it through ‘psychological warfare’, at a time when Washington is also tightening financial sanctions. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month.

A picture taken by US Air Force personnel stationed in Al Udaid air base and posted on the CENTCOM website showed two aircraft. The caption said: ‘B-52 Arrival. US B-52H Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron are parked on a flight line May 8, 2019.’

The media officer at Al Udaid, near Doha, did not immediately respond to a phone call and email requesting comment and details. CENTCOM is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Washington has tightened sanctions on Iran this month, eliminating waivers that had allowed some countries to buy its oil, with a goal of reducing Tehran’s crude exports to zero. Iran has responded by scaling back some curbs on its nuclear programme, although it remains compliant with a deal to restrict its nuclear activity which Washington abandoned a year ago.