After a string of assaults by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeting the Gulf country, the US will assist refill the UAE’s missile interceptors, according to a top US general.
“We will help with replenishment of interceptors. And we’ll do everything we can to assist [the] UAE in defending themselves,” after a trip to Abu Dhabi, Frank McKenzie, the head of the US Central Command, which covers the Middle East, told a news agency.
According to sources, the UAE has asked the US to refill its THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems, citing an unidentified source.
McKenzie’s comments follow the Pentagon’s announcement that it will send a guided-missile destroyer and sophisticated fighter planes to the UAE in a “clear signal” of support for Abu Dhabi.
While expanding their strikes on Saudi Arabia, the Houthis have now begun directly targeting the UAE, a major regional partner.
Yemeni insurgents killed three persons in Abu Dhabi on January 17 with a drone and missile strike. The Gulf country was then targeted by a series of similar strikes.
