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U.S. Approves $1.96 Billion Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia as Attacks on Iran Increase
The State Department cleared the foreign military sale on Wednesday to strengthen Saudi air defenses. The deal includes 20,000 precision-guided rockets and comes amid renewed Houthi threats and the collapse of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
Jul 16, 1:22 PM·1m read1 source
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The U.S. Department of State approved a potential $1.96 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia on 16 July 2026. The foreign military sale, announced the previous day, centers on up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and their warheads.
BAE Systems will serve as the principal contractor. , regional, and NATO forces. The department added that the sale supports U.S. foreign policy objectives by aiding a Major non-NATO Ally described as a force for stability in the Gulf Region.
It also stated there will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness. The approval follows a Houthi missile attack on an airport in the southern Saudi city of Abha on 13 July. Air strikes had struck Sanaa airport days earlier, diverting a flight carrying a Houthi delegation returning from the Iranian supreme leader’s funeral.
On 16 July, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned that all Saudi oil and other vital facilities would become targets for missiles and drones if Riyadh joins what he called comprehensive aggression against Yemen. The developments occur as a ceasefire between the United States and Iran has broken down. The U.S.
Has imposed a naval blockade and increased its attacks on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
