By Zhao Guojun

American media recently reported that the US military is considering using the Red Sea port city of Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia and another two airfields in the kingdom, and it already has tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from the seaport. Though the US military described the move as a “prudent” and “contingency” planning measure without any intention of expanding its activities in the region, the international community is worried that the deployment may aggravate tensions in the Middle East.

The US plans to build new military bases in Saudi Arabia mainly for the following considerations.

The deployment is targeted at Iran. Washington is getting ready for the negotiations with Iran on returning to the Iranian nuclear deal and regional security issues. It not only asks Tehran to return to the deal unconditionally but also wants to invite Saudi Arabia and UAE to join the negotiations and add content about limiting Iran’s missile capability. The US has taken a series of moves in the Middle East recently, from pushing Qatar, resume the diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and other countries to sending bombers to fly over the Persian Gulf and to building new military bases, all for the purpose of containing and deterring Iran.

Saudi Arabia remains America’s most important strategic pivot in the Middle East. Historically, the US only deployed a small number of troops in Saudi Arabia during the Cold War, but largely increased the troops during the first Gulf War targeting the Saddam regime in Iraq. The Obama administration downsized troops in Afghanistan and Iraq but viewed Saudi Arabia as the bridgehead to counter Iran. As Iran is gaining growing power over Iraq, Saudi Arabia, as one of America’s geopolitical allies, is becoming more important. Although the US side claimed the plan to build new military bases is not a provocation, and it has no intention to expand its military presence in the region, particularly Saudi Arabia, its strategic intent is evident at one sight.

Adding new military bases in Saudi Arabia is an adjustment of America’s local strategy in the Middle East that doesn’t harm its global strategy. The adjustment reflects a difference between the Biden and Trump administrations in their recognition of how strategically important the Middle East is. While Trump wanted to pull American troops back from the Middle East and concentrate resources on the Indo-Pacific, Biden planned to have more military bases in Saudi Arabia for the obvious purpose of demonstrating America’s influence and control in the Middle East region, not to mention that the move can also tighten its relation with regional allies by given them more confidence.

However, Washington and Riyadh are not without divergences after Biden came in office. The US recently halted weapon sales to Saudi Arabia, which is explained as a routine review by the new administration but may also be interpreted as a way to impose pressure on the Middle Eastern country. Had the Biden administration forced Riyadh to stop supporting the civil war in Yemen by suspending the arms sale, Iran might have reduced the support to the Houthi militants.

It’s worth noting that America’s building of new military bases in Saudi Arabia may easily lead to the rebound of regional extremist organizations, given that the massive American troops stationed in the country were an important reason why the Al-Qaeda launched the terrorist attacks against the US. If the US builds new military bases now, that may trigger another surge of extremist thoughts and exacerbate the threats to itself.

As the geopolitical situation in the Middle East is undergoing profound changes, military confrontation will only further complicate and strain the Iranian nuclear issue and the regional situation, while dialogue among the parties is the only feasible way to restore peace and stability in the region. The top priority for the Biden administration now is to create conditions to get Iran back to the negotiating table. The US is unlikely to have what it desires by building more military bases in Saudi Arabia to put heavy pressure on Iran.

(The author is from the International Relations Department of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. This article is originally published on PLA Daily and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online.)