The United States announced Monday that it was resuming sales of “offensive” arms to Saudi Arabia, several years after suspending them due to humanitarian concerns in Yemen.
As Saudi Arabia has reestablished its place in international diplomacy, following tensions with Washington, particularly over human rights, the State Department has announced that this resumption would take place after following the usual procedures with Congress.
“Saudi Arabia has remained a close strategic partner for the United States, and we look forward to strengthening that partnership,” U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
Joe Biden entered the White House in 2021 promising a new approach to US-Saudi relations, with human rights at its core. The Democratic president then announced that only “defensive” weapons would be sent to this long-time partner.
The move came after Saudi bombings in Yemen left an estimated thousands of civilians dead. Riyadh fought in Yemen in 2015 against Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have seized much of the country’s territory.
But geopolitical considerations have changed since Joe Biden’s decision. The UN notably managed to negotiate a truce in April 2022 which has held since, despite its official expiration.
Since then, “there has been no Saudi bombing of Yemen and cross-border fire from Yemen into Saudi Arabia has largely ceased,” Patel said.
Saudi Arabia “has respected its terms of the agreement, and we are prepared to respect ours,” the spokesman said.