U.S. Says 500 Troops Sent to Saudi Arabia on Mideast Deployment
- Most American troops were withdrawn from the kingdom in 2003
- U.S. said last month it would send 1,000 troops to the region
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The U.S. sent 500 soldiers to Saudi Arabia as part of an earlier deployment of forces to the Middle East, according to a U.S. official, boosting support for the kingdom in its increasingly hostile rivalry with Iran.
CNN had reported earlier that they would be based at the Prince Sultan air base and comprised half the additional 1,000 troops the Pentagon announced last week would be headed to the region. The U.S. official, who asked not to be identified, declined to detail what role the forces have in Saudi Arabia nor when they arrived.