US lifts ban on offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia

The US has announced the resumption of offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, ending a suspension that was implemented at the start of President Joe Biden’s administration due to concerns over human rights violations in Yemen, Middle East Monitor website said, as it is reported by Wall Street Journal.

The State Department confirmed the decision yesterday citing Riyadh’s adherence to conditions set by Washington, including improved civilian harm mitigation measures. The initial suspension was part of a broader policy aimed at pressuring the kingdom to reduce its involvement in the war on Yemen, which had killed an estimated 377,000 people by the end of 2021.

A UN-mediated truce in 2022 effectively ended large-scale hostilities, though tensions have persisted. A report by the Guardian yesterday notes that “It is now the United States, Britain and recently Israel that have been striking Houthi(Yemeni) targets in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia content to watch from the sidelines."

In a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel stated that the freeze on certain classes of weapons was conditional, and “it was based on Saudi Arabia’s policy towards Yemen and efforts to improve civilian harm mitigation measures.”

“The Saudis since that time have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours, which means returning these cases through regular order, with appropriate congressional notification and consultation,” Patel said.

Patel denied that the resumption of arms sales was linked to US plans for post-war Gaza or efforts to normalize relations between the occupation state of Israel and Saudi Arabia, though he acknowledged the strategic importance of the partnership with Riyadh.

The lifting of the ban, which includes the sale of specific air-to-ground munitions, comes after a senior Biden administration official said on Friday that part of Washington’s policy of freezing the sale of certain classes of offensive weapons “while maintaining sales of systems Saudi Arabia required to defend itself from attack” was part of the policy to try to end the war.

MNA