President Joe Biden has agreed to lift restrictions on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, reversing a policy introduced early in his administration to strengthen ties with a key partner and counter Iran.
Biden had ordered the halt on the sale of precision-guided munitions and other weapons to put pressure on Riyadh to end its war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Saudis have kept their part of the bargain, according to a senior U.S. official who asked not to be identified while discussing a decision that has not been publicly announced.
U.S. priorities in the region have also been upended since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, and the Iran-backed Houthis have roiled the shipping world with attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea. Tensions have escalated further following the recent assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran, and administration officials say Iran could attack Israel at any time.
Reuters was the first to report on Friday’s decision.
There is no information yet on what weapons might now be used, but the previous delay also included the suspension of the issuance of a formal commercial license to RTX Corp., formerly known as Raytheon, to sell 7,500 precision-guided air-to-ground weapons valued at $478 million to Saudi Arabia.
The decision removes the last remnants of a policy Biden pursued after taking office that downgraded relations with Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The decision was, among other things, a protest against the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Saudi Arabia is now seen as too important to US goals to end the war between Israel and Hamas and support the growing conflict with Iran and its proxies. The US is also trying to negotiate a larger strategic pact that would provide security guarantees to the kingdom and pave a possible path to diplomatic relations with Israel.
The official said Saudi arms sales would be returned to “normal course” with Congress notified and consulted.
Saudi Arabia had already fought against the Houthis for seven years since 2015. The conflict devastated Yemen and claimed an estimated 370,000 lives through fighting and famine.
Officials had indicated for months that Friday’s move was in the works. In June, a leading Senate Democrat said lawmakers would consider restrictions on U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, partly at the request of the White House.
