Gulf News

US to end ban on sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia

[ad_1]

The U.S. will lift a restriction on the sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, three sources said Friday.

The administration briefed Congress this week on its decision to lift the ban, a congressional aide said. A source told Reuters that sales could resume as early as next week.

“The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours, returning these cases regular order through appropriate congressional notification and consultation,” a senior Biden administration official said.

Since March 2022 – when the Saudis and Houthis entered into a U.N.-led truce – there have not been any Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and cross-border fire from Yemen into the Kingdom has largely stopped, the administration official said.

Biden had adopted a tougher stance on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in 2021, citing the kingdom’s campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, which has inflicted heavy civilian casualties.

Yemen’s war is seen as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis ousted a Saudi-backed government from Sanaa in late 2014 and have been at war against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015, a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and left 80% of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.


You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

[ad_2]

Source link

Related Articles

Back to top button