The US Will Lift The Ban On The Sale Of Offensive Weapons To Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON - The Biden administration has decided to lift the ban on the sale of US offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. Where, the prohibition policy came out three years ago to pressure the kingdom to end Yemen's war.

This was stated by the US State Department on Friday, August 9 local time, according to Reuters.

A senior US foreign exchange official has also confirmed his suspension of the transfer of air and land ammunition to Saudi Arabia.

"We will consider new transfers based on case-by-case cases in accordance with Conventional Arms Transfer Policy," the official said.

The government briefed Congress this week on its decision to lift the ban. One source said sales could resume as early as next week. However, the US Government notified in advance on Friday afternoon about the policy of selling weapons.

"Saudi have fulfilled their share of the deal, and we are ready to fulfill our share," said a senior Biden administration official.

Under US law, major international arms transactions must be reviewed by members of Congress before being declared final. Democratic lawmakers and Republicans have questioned the provision of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia in recent years, citing a number of issues including civilian casualties from campaigns in Yemen and various human rights issues.

However, those oppositions have softened amid chaos in the Middle East following Hamas' deadly attack on October 7 in Israel and due to changes in campaign implementation in Yemen.

Since March 2022 - when the Saudis and Houthis entered the UN-led ceasefire - there have been no Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and cross-border shots from Yemen into the kingdom have largely stopped, the government official said.

"We also note the positive steps that the Saudi Ministry of Defense has taken over the past three years to substantially increase their civil hazard mitigation process, in part thanks to the hard work of US coaches and advisers," the State Department official said.