The U.S. to Lift Ban on Offensive Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department announced that the Biden administration has decided to lift the ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, changing its three-year policy of pressuring the kingdom to end the war in Yemen. A senior State Department official confirmed on Friday, August 19, that the department is in the process of lifting the suspension of certain air-to-ground weapon sales to Saudi Arabia. The official stated, "We will consider new transfers in the usual case-by-case manner consistent with conventional arms transfer policy." Reuters was the first to report this U.S. decision, citing five sources. A congressional aide indicated that the Biden administration informed Congress this week about its decision to lift the ban. Another Reuters source mentioned that the sale of these weapons could resume as early as next week. A senior Biden administration official also reported that the U.S. is working towards an agreement with the Saudis on this matter. According to U.S. law, major international arms contracts must be reviewed by Congress members before finalization. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the U.S. have questioned the provision of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia in recent years, citing issues such as civilian casualties in Saudi attacks in Yemen and a range of human rights concerns. However, this opposition has diminished amid tensions in the Middle East following the deadly attack by the extremist group Hamas on Israel on October 7 last year and due to changes in the manner of Saudi intervention in Yemen. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union. A Biden administration official noted that since March 2022, when the Saudis and Houthis accepted a UN-led ceasefire, there have been no airstrikes by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, and attacks from Yemen towards Saudi Arabia have largely ceased. The State Department official added, "We also point to the positive steps that the Saudi Ministry of Defense has taken over the past three years to significantly improve its civilian harm mitigation processes, partly thanks to the work of American trainers and advisors." The Yemen war is viewed as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian-backed Houthis ousted a Saudi-backed government in Sana'a in late 2014 and have been at war against the Saudi-led military coalition since 2015. This conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid. Biden adopted a tougher stance on arms sales to Saudi Arabia in 2021, citing heavy civilian casualties in the Saudi military intervention against the Houthis. Washington-Riyadh relations were also affected at the beginning of Biden's presidency due to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. However, these relations have recently warmed, and Washington has been working closely with Riyadh following the Hamas attack on Israel to design a post-war plan for Gaza. The Biden administration is also negotiating a defense pact and an agreement for civilian nuclear energy cooperation with Riyadh. This agreement is part of a broader deal encouraging Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. The decision to resume U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia comes amid rising security threats in the region in recent weeks, with the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah, a Tehran-backed group, threatening to carry out attacks against Israel following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Additionally, the Houthis have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea region for months, claiming to support the Palestinians in Gaza. The U.S. and the U.K. have repeatedly targeted Houthi positions and equipment to stop these attacks.