Saudi Arabia pays $500m toward the cost of US troops in country

12:35 • 17.01.20
Event

Saudi Arabia has paid the US approximately $500 million to begin to cover the cost of US troops operating in the country, CNN reports, citing a US official.

The payment was made in December last year. President Donald Trump asserted last week in an interview with Fox News that Saudi Arabia had "already deposited $1 billion in the bank."

Earlier this week the Pentagon could not confirm that any payment had been made.

This is not the first time the Saudis have contributed to cover US military costs. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states paid $36 billion towards the costs of the Gulf War in 1990-91.

Bilateral talks are ongoing over precisely what expenses will be covered by the Saudis. That decision will lead to a final calculation on what the US believes the Saudis owe.

"Consistent with the President's guidance to increase partner burden-sharing, the Department of Defense has engaged Saudi Arabia on sharing the cost of these deployments, which support regional security and dissuade hostility and aggression. The Saudi government has agreed to help underwrite the cost of these activities and has made the first contribution," said Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, Pentagon spokeswoman. "Discussions are ongoing to formalize a mechanism for future contributions that offset the cost of these deployments."

The US has deployed thousands of additional US troops and missile defense batteries to Saudi Arabia in response to what Pentagon officials have said is an increased threat from Iran.

The Saudi funds are to cover the overall costs of deploying troops, as well as fighter jets and Patriot missile defense batteries to protect Saudi oil installations from Iranian missile and drone attacks. The deployments began after what the Saudis said were Iranian attacks on oil facilities in September 2019.

The Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

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