Biden Administration Lifts Ban on Offensive Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia

The Biden administration has lifted a ban on U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, reversing a three-year-old policy designed to pressure the Kingdom to end the Yemen war. The decision follows a U.N.-led truce in Yemen, with no Saudi airstrikes since March 2022.

The Biden administration has decided to lift a ban on U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, reversing a three-year-old policy aimed at pressuring the Kingdom to wind down the Yemen war, multiple sources told Reuters on Friday.

Congress was briefed this week on the administration's decision to lift the ban, and a source indicated that sales could resume as early as next week. A senior Biden administration official commented, "The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours, returning these cases to regular order through appropriate congressional notification and consultation."

Since a U.N.-led truce in March 2022, Saudi airstrikes in Yemen have ceased and cross-border fire into Saudi Arabia has largely stopped. President Biden had initially adopted a tougher stance on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in 2021 due to the Kingdom's military campaign against Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, which caused heavy civilian casualties.

(With inputs from agencies.)