US reverses 3-year ban on offensive weapon sales to Saudi Arabia

The Biden administration has decided to lift a three-year ban on U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. This move reverses an earlier stance aimed at pressuring the kingdom to end its involvement in the Yemen war.

A senior official from the State Department confirmed the lifting of the suspension on specific transfers of air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia.

“We will consider new transfers on a typical case-by-case basis consistent with the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy,” the official stated.

The decision was communicated to Congress this week, and sales could resume as early as next week, according to sources.

The U.S. government has already begun the notification process for an impending sale, as confirmed by an informed individual.

“The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours,” said a senior Biden administration official.

Under U.S. law, major international weapons deals must be reviewed by Congress before they are finalized.

In recent years, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns about providing offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing civilian casualties in Yemen and various human rights issues. However, opposition has softened due to the turmoil in the Middle East following Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel and changes in the Yemen campaign.

Since March 2022, following a U.N.-led truce between the Saudis and Houthis, Saudi airstrikes in Yemen have ceased, and cross-border fire from Yemen into Saudi Arabia has largely stopped.

The State Department official noted the positive steps taken by the Saudi Ministry of Defense to improve civilian harm mitigation processes, aided by U.S. trainers and advisors.

Yemen’s war is viewed as a proxy conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis ousted a Saudi-backed government from Sanaa in late 2014, leading to a Saudi-led military alliance war that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and left 80% of Yemen’s population reliant on humanitarian aid.

In 2021, President Biden adopted a tougher stance on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia due to its campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen. However, relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have since warmed, with Washington working closely with Riyadh post-Hamas attack to devise a plan for post-war Gaza.

Additionally, the Biden administration has been negotiating a defense pact and a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh, part of a broader deal that envisions Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel, although this remains an elusive goal.

The decision to lift the ban comes amid heightened regional tensions. Iran and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group have vowed retaliation against Israel following the killing of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The Houthis have also emerged as strong supporters of Hamas, attacking commercial ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports earlier this year.