Washington’s redeployment of elements of its missile defence systems from South Korea to the Middle East could be read by China as a short-term capability gap in the region, analysts said.
They said the move also underlined US flexibility to move its assets across theatres of operation.
A Washington Post report on Tuesday citing two unnamed US government officials said that the United States had been moving parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system stationed in South Korea to the Middle East, where the US is fighting a war against Iran.
According to South Korean media reports, the US has also begun sending Patriot missile defence systems to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Seoul has indirectly confirmed the moves.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that while the movement of the US air defence systems out of South Korea would “absolutely not” undermine Seoul’s deterrence strategy against North Korea, it was a “stark reality” that South Korea’s opinions would not be heeded.
