Officials fear stocks will run out before arrival of new missiles, exposing kingdom to major Houthi attack
Saudi Arabia called on its allies in Europe and the Gulf, as well as the United States, to resupply it with Patriot missiles so that it can defend itself against attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Riyadh has been using Patriot anti-aircraft missiles against the Houthis for several months, the WSJ revealed.
However, the Saudi regime's stockpile of Patriot missiles is dwindling dramatically.
"If we were to run out of Patriot missiles, we risk being exposed to an attack that could have dramatic consequences in terms of the number of lives lost. Moreover, in the event that oil infrastructure is affected, the Saudi economy could be severely impacted," a Saudi official said on Tuesday.
In September a Patriot air defense missile battery was delivered from Greece to assist the Saudis to protect the Kingdom’s critical energy infrastructure and strengthen its air defense, especially against missile attacks from Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.
