On Monday, the United States announced it would resume sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, lifting a yearslong suspension imposed due to the kingdom’s involvement in the Yemen conflict.
The decision comes as Saudi Arabia is increasingly viewed as a key partner for the U.S. amid the ongoing Gaza war, which has now entered its 10th month. The State Department indicated that future weapons sales would proceed with “regular order” and appropriate congressional notification and consultation.
State Department spokesman Vedant Patel stated, “Saudi Arabia has remained a close strategic partner of the United States, and we look forward to further strengthening that relationship.”
When President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he pledged to reevaluate U.S.-Saudi relations with a focus on human rights, and his administration initially restricted arms sales to “defensive” equipment only. This policy shift followed widespread civilian casualties from Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen, targeting Iranian-backed Huthi rebels.
However, the geopolitical landscape has shifted since then. A truce brokered by the United Nations, with U.S. support, was established in early 2022 and has largely held.
Since the truce, “there has not been a single Saudi airstrike into Yemen and cross-border fire from Yemen into Saudi Arabia has largely stopped,” Patel said.
“The Saudis since that time have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours,” Patel said.
