The US State Department early Thursday approved the sale of precision missile systems worth $2 billion to Saudi Arabia, according to a report. The sale follows a broader $2.44 billion weapons package to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reported earlier today.
The US State Department approved the sale of precision missile systems worth $2 billion to Saudi Arabia early Thursday, according to a report. This development follows The Zioneer's earlier report today (Thu 01:18 Jerusalem) of a broader $2.44 billion weapons package approved for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The thread evolved rapidly: an initial report at 01:18 Jerusalem cited a $2 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, with a statement that it would not alter the regional balance. That report was soon updated to $2.44 billion, accompanied by a State Department statement that the sale would "strengthen our allies in the region." The new report of a $2 billion precision missile system sale introduces a potential separate approval, but its relationship to the larger package remains unclear.
These approvals come amid strained US-Saudi relations. As The Zioneer reported on July 1, 06:30 Jerusalem, the Wall Street Journal reported that ties were at a multi-year low, with Washington threatening to halt interceptor missile shipments after Riyadh scuttled a military operation. The new sale of advanced missile systems may represent a shift in that dynamic.
Open questions remain: whether the $2 billion precision missile system sale is a distinct approval or part of the $2.44 billion package, and whether the reports have been officially confirmed beyond the cited statements.
3 developments
- ConfirmedUS approves sale of engines for Turkish fighter jets, worth hundreds of millions
- DevelopingUS approves sale of Tomahawk missiles to Germany
- DevelopingTrump administration informs Congress of $700m+ jet engine sale to Turkey
- DevelopingWSJ: US-Saudi ties at lowest point in years; Washington threatens to halt missile shipment
Source and signal
- Internal intake