US clears potential $1.96 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia
The State Department said the package would strengthen Saudi air defenses as regional tensions involving Iran and Yemen’s Houthis rise.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
The US State Department said it has approved a possible $1.96 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, with the package aimed at strengthening the kingdom’s air defenses. The approval comes as AFP and Reuters reported rising regional tensions involving Iran and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
The department announced the potential foreign military sale on Wednesday. It said the package would advance US foreign policy and national security goals by improving the security of Saudi Arabia, which Washington identifies as a major non-NATO ally.
Weapons package
BAE Systems would be the principal contractor, according to the State Department. The sale includes Saudi Arabia’s request for up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and related warheads.
The US Navy describes the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System as a lower-cost weapon intended to destroy targets while reducing collateral damage in close combat. The State Department said the proposed sale would strengthen Saudi homeland defense and improve the kingdom’s ability to work with US, regional and NATO forces.
The department also said the transfer would not have an adverse effect on US defense readiness. It framed the package as a way to help Saudi Arabia deter existing and future threats.
Houthi threats and Iran tensions
AFP and Reuters reported that the approval comes as Saudi Arabia appears close to renewed conflict with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. The Houthis fired missiles on Monday at an airport in Abha, a city in southern Saudi Arabia, according to the reports.
That attack followed air strikes on Sanaa airport that diverted a flight carrying a Houthi delegation returning from the Iranian supreme leader’s funeral, AFP and Reuters reported. The Houthis blamed Riyadh for the strike.
Yemen’s Houthi leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said Thursday that Saudi oil sites and other vital facilities would become targets for the group’s missiles and drones if Riyadh involved itself in what he called "comprehensive aggression" against Yemen and moved toward escalation.
The State Department’s decision also comes as AFP and Reuters reported that a ceasefire between the United States and Iran has broken down. The reports said the US has increased attacks after imposing a naval blockade.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.