Saudi Arabia’s restriction on the sale of weapons by the Biden administration, imposed after the 2021 election of the president, is likely to be lifted in the coming weeks. According to reports from Reuters referencing the Financial Times, there is a strong possibility that the ban on selling military weapons to Saudi Arabia may be lifted by the United States soon.
The report mentioned that the U.S. had already informed Saudi Arabia that they are prepared to lift the restriction. This information was conveyed to Saudi officials by the American side related to the matter.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had mentioned two days ago that the United States and Saudi Arabia are close to finalizing bilateral agreements on nuclear energy, security, defense cooperation, and the relationships between Riyadh and Israel.
It was also stated in the Financial Times report that the removal of the ban on the sale of military weapons is not directly related to these negotiations.
Neither the American nor the Saudi government offices have provided an immediate response to this issue to international news agencies.
It is important to note that while Saudi Arabia is the largest buyer of arms from the United States, the sales have been halted due to the mentioned restrictions, even though the supply of weapons had been ongoing for decades.
President Biden had taken a tough stance against Saudi Arabia after assuming office in 2021, especially due to the heavy casualties suffered in the conflict with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. His concerns also included human rights records in Saudi Arabia, particularly after the murder of Washington Post journalist and political dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, leading to a strict ban on weapon sales by the American president.