The United States is anticipated to lift its prohibition on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia in the upcoming weeks. President Joe Biden had halted the sale three years ago due to concerns about the kingdom’s involvement in the conflict in Yemen and the use of American-made weapons in airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties. The decision has been under review following a UN-brokered truce in 2022. Washington has conveyed to Saudi Arabia its willingness to lift the ban.
Biden had pledged to isolate Saudi Arabia but relations have improved since then, especially after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Washington and Riyadh are close to finalizing a series of bilateral agreements, including a defense pact and US collaboration on Saudi Arabia’s emerging civilian nuclear program. These agreements would form part of a broader US-mediated arrangement that would result in Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. The lifting of the ban on offensive weapons sales is not directly linked to these discussions. In 2015, Saudi Arabia led an Arab coalition into Yemen’s civil war to combat the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The kingdom faced condemnation for its conduct in the conflict, but recently, Riyadh has focused on peace negotiations with the Houthis and refrained from joining a US-led naval task force aimed at countering Houthi attacks on shipping. The regional hostilities sparked by the Israel-Hamas conflict have reinforced the Biden administration’s belief in the importance of Saudi Arabia as a key regional partner.
Based on story appearing on Financial Times
