The United States announced on Friday the approval of a sale of bombs and other defense materials worth 5 billion dollars (about 4.3 billion euros) to Saudi Arabia, in order to “strengthen the security of an important ally” that has been targeted since the start of the war with Iran in February.
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“The proposed sale will enhance Saudi Arabia’s air defense capability to address current and future regional threats, strengthen its defense, and improve interoperability with systems used by U.S. forces and other Gulf region partners,” detailed the U.S. State Department in a statement.
Specifically, Riyadh has requested the purchase of JDAM bombs (Joint Direct Attack Munition), a GPS-guided munition capable of reaching targets about 72 km away, and other supporting defense materials, as well as logistical support for their use. The main contractor for the deal will be Boeing, manufacturer of this type of bombs.
The sale, which must receive approval from Congress in Washington, “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by strengthening the security of an important non-NATO ally,” the statement added.
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Saudi Arabia, a global oil power, has been targeted by drone and missile attacks by Iranian forces and Yemeni Houthi rebels, an armed movement allied with Tehran, especially since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28.
The Houthis, who control 30% of Yemen and its capital, Sana’a, maintained an informal truce with Saudi Arabia since 2022, but with the start of the war in Iran, this agreement has practically broken down. In July, the rebels announced a naval blockade against Riyadh and attacked several Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. About 10% of the world’s crude oil passes through this area and the neighboring Bab el-Mandeb strait.
At the end of July and for the first time, Saudi Arabia attacked armed groups supported by Iran in Iraq together with the United States, after blaming them for a drone offensive against its oil facilities. At the same time, the Sunni kingdom signed a security pact with Turkey and Pakistan, called the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement,” and wishes to create an international defense coalition aimed at protecting international maritime transport routes and energy supply in the Red Sea region.
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