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On August 2, the Biden administration approved two weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to help them defend against Iran and its allies.
The approval of the sales, which worth more than $5 billion, comes just weeks after President Joe Biden met with the leaders of each nation in the Saudi city of Jeddah. The notice of approval was also made on the same day that the United Nations announced a two-month renewal of the ceasefire in Yemen.
In a statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that it had approved the possible sale of 300 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T) and related equipment to Saudi Araba for an estimated $3.05 billion.
“The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats by replenishing its dwindling stock of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles,” the agency said. “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.”
“These attacks threaten the well-being of Saudi, International, and U.S. citizens (approximately 70,000) residing in the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces,” it added.
Separately, the agency approved the possible sale of 96 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System Missiles, two THAAD Launch Control Stations (LCS), two THAAD Tactical Operations Stations (TOS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.245 billion to the UAE.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner. The UAE is a vital U.S. partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the agency said in a statement. “The proposed sale will improve the UAE’s ability to meet current and future ballistic missile threats in the region, and reduce dependence on U.S. forces. The UAE will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces, as it currently employs the THAAD system.”
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been hit earlier this year with missile attacks from the Iran-allied Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.
After assuming office last year, Biden pledged to cut off or cut back weapons sales to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of their actions in Yemen. The ban has apparently came to an end, at least when it comes to missile defense systems.
- Saudi-led Coalition, Houthis Agreed To Renew Ceasefire In Yemen For Two Additional Months
- Explosion At Houthi Missile Workshop In Yemen’s Sanaa Killed Five Engineers – Report
