US officials said on Saturday that Joe Biden’s administration is preparing to ease restrictions on some arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Biden imposed the ban two years ago amid fears that US weapons would be used against civilians in Yemen, where hundreds of thousands of people have died from air strikes, deliberate killing, disease, and hunger as a result of the Saudi-led coalition war in Yemen.
The US officials did not say when the ban on sales might be eased and such a move might be reversed, as Biden has decided that it is not in the United States’ interest to allow offensive weapons to flow into Saudi Arabia, which is by far the largest buyer of American weapons.
Saudi Arabia, after eight years of waging a brutal war in Yemen, has not shown any interest in returning to conflict with the Houthis (Ansarallah), especially since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the Kingdom, seeks to reduce regional tensions and focus on the Kingdom’s economy.
Biden’s planned policy shift is likely to face opposition from some lawmakers.
