US approves missile sale to Saudi Arabia ahead of Trump’s visit to Riyadh
U.S. State Department Approves $3.5 billion Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of medium-range air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia, valued at approximately $3.5 billion, according to a report by the Mehr News Agency citing the Okaz newspaper.
The approval of this arms deal comes just days before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia.Previously, Washington had also authorized the sale of precision-guided weapon systems to the Arab nation, which—according to the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon)—marks the latest U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia during Trump’s presidency.Based on earlier statements by Ahmed Al-Ohali, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries, the country’s military expenditures have grown annually since 1960, reaching around 4.5%.
trump is set to make his frist official foreign trip—as he did during his first term—to Saudi Arabia again, though this time he will also visit Abu Dhabi and Doha along with Riyadh, unlike his previous trip.
The visit is scheduled for May (Ordibehesht), and Trump aims to sell $100 billion worth of weapons to the Saudis during this trip.
