The Biden administration has decided to reverse a three-year-old ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, marking a notable shift in policy. This change, previously aimed at pressuring the kingdom to reduce its involvement in the Yemen conflict, has been confirmed by a senior US official.
According to the State Department, the suspension on the transfer of certain air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia will be lifted. Future transfers will be evaluated on a “typical case-by-case basis” in line with the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy. Congressional members have been briefed on this decision, and it is reported that sales could potentially resume as soon as next week.
The US government has started notifying relevant parties about the anticipated sales, signaling a shift in US-Saudi military relations. “The Saudis have fulfilled their commitments, and we are prepared to honor ours,” stated a senior official from the Biden administration.
Major international weapons deals in the US must undergo Congressional review before finalization. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns about supplying offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing the impact on civilians in Yemen and broader human rights issues.
However, this opposition has diminished amid recent Middle Eastern unrest, including the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and changes in Yemen’s conflict dynamics. Since a UN-led truce in March 2022, there have been no Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, and cross-border fire from Yemen into Saudi Arabia has largely ceased.
“The Saudi Ministry of Defense has made significant strides in improving civilian harm mitigation processes over the past three years, partly due to US training and advisory efforts,” the State Department official noted.
The tougher stance on Saudi arms sales was initially adopted by Biden in 2021, in response to the kingdom’s military actions against the Houthis in Yemen. Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia have since improved, with Washington and Riyadh collaborating on post-war Gaza plans following the Hamas attack.
Additionally, the Biden administration is negotiating a defense pact and a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, as part of a broader initiative that aims to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, though this remains an ongoing challenge.
The decision comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah threatening retaliation against Israel following the death of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The Houthis, a strong Hamas ally, have also targeted commercial ships linked to Israel or headed to Israeli ports earlier this year.
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