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| Saudi-led coalition officials show U.S. Central Command chief General Kenneth McKenzie an exhibit of weapons and missiles used in Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, July 18, 2019. |
T he Biden administration has decided to lift its three-year-old ban on U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move reverses a policy originally implemented to pressure Saudi Arabia to de-escalate the Yemen conflict.
This week, the administration briefed Congress on its decision, with sales possibly resuming as early as next week. A senior Biden administration official stated, "The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours, returning these cases to regular order through appropriate congressional notification and consultation."
By U.S. law, major international weapons sales must be reviewed by Congress before final approval. In recent years, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about providing offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia due to the impact on civilians in Yemen and other human rights issues. However, opposition to these sales has lessened following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and changes in the conduct of the Yemen conflict.
The Middle East's heightened threat level, especially with Iran and Hezbollah's retaliatory threats against Israel after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, has further influenced this decision. Additionally, the Biden administration has been in talks with Riyadh regarding a defense pact and civil nuclear cooperation, aiming to normalize Saudi-Israeli relations, although progress remains slow.
Since a U.N.-led truce was established in March 2022, Saudi airstrikes in Yemen have ceased, and cross-border attacks from Yemen into Saudi Arabia have significantly decreased. President Biden's stricter stance on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in 2021 was largely in response to the kingdom's campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, which has resulted in significant civilian casualties.
The conflict in Yemen is seen as part of a broader proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis, who overthrew a Saudi-backed government in Sanaa in 2014, have been at war with a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015, a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population reliant on humanitarian aid.
A senior U.S. administration official confirmed that the U.S. continues to conduct airstrikes against the Houthis to degrade their capabilities, in coordination with coalition partners. The Houthis have been designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and the U.S. has imposed sanctions on their smuggling networks and military apparatus. The official indicated that pressure on the Houthis would continue to intensify in the coming weeks.
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