US State Department approves massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia, UAE

HOUSTON (Texas, United States), Aug 3 (Bernama) -- The US State Department announced Tuesday that it has approved the potential sale of arms to two of its key Middle East partners in separate deals with a total value of more than US$5 billion.

Under the terms of the first agreement, Saudi Arabia would purchase US$3.05 billion worth of Patriot missiles, reported Anadolu Agency.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) would buy US$2.25 billion worth of Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system missiles.

According to the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the proposed deal with Saudi Arabia will help replenish its “dwindling” stocks of Patriot missiles, arming the Saudis with 300 new weapons.

“These missiles are used to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s borders against persistent Houthi cross-border unmanned aerial system and ballistic missile attacks on civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia,” the DSCA said in a statement.

The UAE would receive two THAAD launch control stations, two THAAD tactical operations stations and 96 missile rounds under the proposed deal.

The timing of these arms deals comes at a crucial juncture, however, as the US is currently in the process of returning to the table with Iran over its 2015 nuclear deal.

The US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 under former President Donald Trump, but current President Joe Biden's administration is in the process of possibly re-entering the agreement with Iran over nuclear regulations.

The proposed US arms deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not yet been finalised, although an announcement by the DSCA likely means they have already been approved by the executive branch.

The next step in the negotiations lies with the US Congress, which must weigh in on whether to accept or object to the deals, including the quantities of weapons and overall amount of the sale.

-- BERNAMA