The State Department in Washington announced that a corresponding message had been sent to Congress. A ministry spokesman stressed that these are defensive weapons used to defend against air strikes from Yemen. US President Joe Biden announced shortly after taking office in February that the United States would no longer support offensive operations in the Yemen war, “including the corresponding arms sales.”
In Yemen, a Saudi-led military alliance has been fighting alongside the government since 2015 against the Shiite Houthi rebels supported by Iran. Saudi Arabia sees Iran as an archenemy and wants to push back its influence in the entire region. The kingdom has traditionally been a close ally of the United States. The Democrat Biden is more critical of Saudi Arabia than his Republican predecessor Donald Trump.
The ministry spokesman said the AIM-120C medium-range missiles would not be used to combat ground targets. The potential sale “is fully in line with the government’s promise to end the conflict in Yemen through diplomatic channels while ensuring that Saudi Arabia has the means to defend itself against air strikes by Iran-backed Houthis”. The AIM-120C missiles used by Saudi Arabia to date have made a decisive contribution to warding off drone attacks that have also threatened Americans.
According to the US law on the control of arms exports, planned deliveries of important armaments to countries like Saudi Arabia above a certain volume must be formally reported to Congress. After that, a 30-day period begins in which the Parliament in Washington can review the proposed deal.