The United States Department of State announced Monday that the Biden administration will resume the sale of offensive military materials to Saudi Arabia, ending a 2021 embargo imposed over the Kingdom's actions against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“As part of this policy, our administration froze the sale of certain classes of offensive weapons while also maintaining sales of systems to the Kingdom required to defend itself from attack,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a news conference while clarifying that the policy was always conditional on Riyadh improving “civilian harm mitigation measures.”
The restrictions came after an estimated 20,000 civilians were reported to have been killed during the Saudi efforts to neutralize the Islamic Republic-backed Houthi militias that have taken over much of Yemen’s western territory after ousting President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in 2015.
The conflict was remediated in April 2022 under the terms of a United Nations armistice that was extended at its expiration and remains largely in force. Patel affirmed that regarding the agreement, the Saudis "have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours."
The peace accord did not bring stability to the impoverished Arabian nation, as the Houthis continue to attack the region’s commercial shipping and launch projectiles into Israel in a campaign that their spokespersons claim is a show of solidarity with Hamas terrorists as they fight the Jewish state in Gaza.
In addition to forcing Saudi Arabia’s compliance with U.S. human rights standards, the decision was made amid numerous attempts by the White House to offer a package of incentives to persuade the country’s ruler Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to recognize Israel.
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