Trump’s Administration’s Initial Approval for Arms Worth over $3 Billion with Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump has recently turned his green light for an agreement to sell advanced missiles to fighter jets of the Gulf nation. This $3.5 billion deal was made before President Donald Trump’s planned trip to the country later this month.

Under the deal, the U.S is going to deliver 1,000 AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, guidance sections, and technical support from RTX Corp of Tucson, Ariz. This arms sale will significantly increase the power of the Royal Saudi Air Force. To date, it already has the world’s second-largest fleet of F-15 fighter jets after the U.S.

The sale follows Saudi Arabia’s pledge that invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years. Saudi Arabia is also the first country that the president formally visited after his short trip to Italy for Pope Francis’ funeral.

In his previous term, while the U.S.’s preliminary presidents usually first visit the UK, Canada, or Mexico, Trump broke it by choosing Saudi Arabia as the first nation to visit.

According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the sale to Saudi Arabia will contribute to not only the foreign policy goals of the U.S. It is also a part of national security through supporting the security of the key partner in the Gulf region.

However, the sale isn’t a simple transaction as there are concerns regarding Saudi Arabia’s actions in the region, and it has faced intense Congressional scrutiny for years.

The Gulf nation’s military intervention in Yemen, which started in 2015, has led to significant civilian deaths and increased the humanitarian crisis in the country.

In addition, the U.S. intelligence community claimed that the 2018 assassination of columnist Jamal Khashoggi from the Washington Post at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul was also related to the Saudi Crown Prince.

The proposed sale now goes to the U.S. Congress, where it may face lawmakers concerned about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and its involvement in the conflict in Yemen.

On the other hand, Trump’s administration has also initially agreed to sell eight armed MQ-9B Reaper drones to Qatar, another rich-energy Mideast country. The deal is estimated to be worth nearly $2 billion.

Photo by Timothy Holmes on Unsplash