US Approves $650m Weapon Sale To Saudi Arabia

The US State Department approved the sale to help Riyadh counter current and future threats, the Pentagon said in a statement.

It read in part: “This proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political and economic progress in the Middle East.”

It added that Massachusetts-based firm Raytheon would be the “principal contractor” for the sale of AIM-120C-7/C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and related equipment.

The sale comes months after Biden said he would end US support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive operations” in Yemen, including “relevant arms sales”.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, the State Department’s bureau of political-military affairs noted that the missiles are “not used to engage ground targets”.

“We’ve seen an increase in cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia over the past year,” it added.

“Saudi AIM-120C missiles, deployed from Saudi aircraft, have been instrumental in intercepting these attacks that also [put] US forces at risk and over 70,000 US citizens in the Kingdom at risk.”

The sale, which does not require congressional approval, can be blocked by lawmakers. They can pass a disapproval bill in the Senate and the House of Representatives.