The Biden administration has authorised two sizable arms transactions to aid Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their defence against Iran.
More than USD 5 billion in missile defence and related purchases have been made following President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East last month, during which he visited with various regional officials in Saudi Arabia. Recent months have seen rocket assaults on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by Yemen's Houthi rebel movement, which is supported by Iran.
Although the permits on Tuesday are for defensive weaponry, senators who backed Biden's decision to bar Saudi Arabia and the UAE from significant purchases of offensive US weapons because of their involvement in the war in Yemen may criticise them.
The new sales include USD 2.2 billion for high-altitude missile defence for the UAE and USD 3 billion for Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia that are intended for self-defence against Houthi rocket assaults.
The State Department stated in its notice advising Congress of the sale that "the proposed sale will boost the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's capability to combat existing and future threats by replenishing its decreasing supply of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles."
According to the department, "These missiles are employed to protect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's frontiers against ongoing cross-border Houthi unmanned aerial systems and ballistic missile strikes on Saudi Arabian civilian locations and important infrastructure."
The government said that the sale would benefit the UAE. "By contributing to the security enhancement of a significant regional ally, you are supporting the foreign policy and national security of the United States." "For political stability and economic development in the Middle East, the UAE is a crucial US ally."
Early in his presidency, Biden had promised to stop or scale back military supplies to Saudi Arabia and the UAE due to their activities in Yemen.
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