The US is sending advanced F-22 fighter aircraft and a Navy destroyer to the United Arab Emirates in response to a string of missile and drone attacks on the Gulf country by Yemeni rebels backed by Iran.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of the guided missile destroyer USS Cole and fifth-generation fighter jets following requests for support by top Emirati officials in recent weeks.
The announcement came after Austin spoke on the phone with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday.
The Emirates have been targeted three times by ballistic missile and drone attacks claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels since Jan. 17. The first attack killed three people near Abu Dhabi, while the latter two were successfully parried by Emirati and US missile defenses.
