Washington: Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said that the United States will send reinforcements to the Gulf region at the request of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, following attacks on Saudi oil facilities which it blames on Iran.

The Pentagon chief said on Friday an Iranian attack on an American spy drone in June after Tehran seized a British oil tanker, combined with the attack on two Saudi oil installations last Saturday "represents a dramatic escalation of Iranian aggression."

"To prevent further escalation, Saudi Arabia requested international support to help protect the kingdom's critical infrastructure. The United Arab Emirates has also requested assistance," he said.The deployment to the region would be "moderate," Joint Chiefs of Staff Joe Dunford said.

Iran warns it will destroy 'any aggressor'

The commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, on Saturday threatened to turn any country that dares to attack Iran into a "battlefield". The Iranian Major General's words came in response to the US' decision to send troops to the Persian Gulf.

"We will never allow any war to encroach upon Iran's territory," Salami said during the inauguration of a military exhibition of US drone remains, which were shot down by Iran."Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead," he said.

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