Washington will deploy Patriot missiles...

The United States raised arms sales to some Gulf states, such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, and deployed warships capable of shooting down missiles.

U.S. officials say the decision was intended to deter both possible attacks by Iran and to discourage Israel from striking Iran.

"Our first goal is to deter the Iranians. A second is to reassure the Arab states, so they don"t feel they have to go nuclear themselves. But there is certainly an element of calming the Israelis as well," the Guardian cited an unnamed senior administration official.

The United States will deploy two batteries of air defense Patriots in each of the four Gulf countries. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Israel already have older versions of Patriots.

The chief of the U.S. central command, General David Petraeus, said the region is concerned about Tehran"s military ambitions and the prospect of it becoming a dominant power in the Gulf. "Iran is clearly seen as a very

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