Gulf oil infrastructure at risk as US rushes Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia, Qatar

The US military has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, strengthening protection around key oil and gas facilities as Washington prepares for the possibility of renewed major military operations against Iran.According to Axios, citing two US officials and one regional source, the deployments come after Saudi and Qatari leaders raised concerns that Iran could retaliate against their energy infrastructure if the US resumes large scale attacks on Tehran.One Patriot battery was sent to Saudi Arabia to protect a key oil facility, while another was deployed to Qatar to protect a natural gas facility, Axios reported.The move highlights the risk to Gulf energy infrastructure if the US Iran conflict escalates again.In early August, when US President Donald Trump was considering a major attack that included strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar reportedly lobbied him against the plan, fearing Iranian retaliation…