According to the U.S. State Department, following the Biden administration's decision, Saudi Arabia will now be able to purchase air-to-ground weapons. An American official confirmed the matter to a news agency, stating that it has been decided to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia on a case-by-case basis under the Conventional Arms Transfer policy. The official mentioned that while Saudi Arabia has its own considerations to address in the agreement, the U.S. is ready on its end, and arms sales to Saudi Arabia are expected to begin next week.
The decision to lift the ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia was made in light of the reduced tensions following a United Nations-brokered agreement between Yemeni Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The official noted that since the agreement was reached in March 2022, there have been no airstrikes by Saudi Arabia on Yemen, nor any cross-border attacks by the Yemeni Houthis on Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration informed Congress about the decision, indicating that arms sales to Saudi Arabia could start as early as next week, with a potential notification of the sale to be issued by the government as soon as Friday.
