The US military is exploring the possibility of using a port on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia and two additional airfields in the kingdom amid escalating tensions with Iran, AP reported.

Calling it contingency planning, the US military said it has already dispatched cargo overland from the Saudi Arabian port to Yanbu, an important pipeline terminal in the kingdom.

The use of Yanbu, as well as the Tabuk and Taif airbases on the Red Sea shores, would give the US military more options on the vital waterway.

US Navy Capt. Bill Urban said the site had been assessed for over a year, triggered by the September 2019 attack on the center of the Saudi oil industry.

Saudi Arabia and the United States blamed Iran for the attack, which temporarily cut Saudi Arabia's oil production in half and led to a sharp jump in oil prices. Tehran denies any involvement.