“These are prudent military planning measures that allow for temporary or conditional access of facilities in the event of a contingency, and are not provocative in any way, nor are they an expansion of the U.S. footprint in the region, in general, or in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in particular,” Capt. Bill Urban, CENTCOM spokesman, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Officials said the exploration of Yanbu, Tabuk and Taif began after a September 2019 assault on Saudi Arabian oil fields, which temporarily destabilized global energy markets and led to a short-term spike in fuel prices. Washington and Riyadh have both blamed the assault on Iran, though Iranian officials have denied direct involvement.