US May Again Start Selling Offensive Weapons To Saudi Arabia

The United States may again start selling offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia after a hiatus of three years.

According to the Financial Times, the US is considering lifting the ban on selling offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. The US government, soon after the election of President Joe Biden, banned the sale of offensive weapons, and bombs to Saudi Arabia in February 2021.

The ban was implemented due to alleged human rights violations and the killing of civilians in the Saudi Arabia-led military and bombing campaign in Yemen against the Iranian-supported Houthis.

The Houthis are the same group that is launching missile and drone attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

This has forced maritime traffic to go around the entire African continent, via the Cape of Good Hope, instead of the shorter Bab Al Mandab, Gulf of Aden, and Suez Canal route.

The killing of Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey was another reason for banning weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.

Now, with reports of the US brokering a historic peace agreement with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the lifting of the ban is akin to an olive branch extended to the Saudis by the Americans. The peace agreement includes a civil nuclear agreement as well as recognition of Israel as a nation state, apart from setting up a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) air defence network if demands of the Saudis are met.

This include stopping the Israeli bombing and ground campaign against Gaza, particularly Rafah, as well as the establishment of a separate Palestinian state.

However, the far-right members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet are against stopping operations in Gaza, casting doubts over the peace deal.