https://www.forbes.com/sites/j…-and-uae/?sh=4e57f805695b
Topline
President Joe Biden is temporarily freezing weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, pledging to review a set of controversial arms deals former President Donald Trump struck with the two U.S. allies in the waning days of his administration.
A U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning stealth fighter flies over San Francisco Bay on Oct. ... [+] NurPhoto via Getty Images
Key Facts
This freeze will temporarily hold up at least two deals crafted by Trump in recent months to sell fighter jets and bombs to the UAE and Saudi Arabia respectively, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg first reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
The Biden administration plans on reviewing some of those deals, a State Department spokesperson told Forbes, a move it characterized as a routine action for a new administration.
At least one defense contractor expected a pause: Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes told investors Tuesday the company was preparing for Biden to halt an arms deal with an unnamed “customer in the Middle East” (Raytheon did not respond to Forbes when asked whether that customer is Saudi Arabia).
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The UAE Embassy in Washington tweeted the country “anticipated a review” of Trump’s arms sale and said it will work with the Biden administration.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment, and the Saudi embassy could not be reached for comment.
Big Number
$478 million. That’s the total value of a deal Saudi Arabia inked last month to buy precision-guided bombs from Raytheon, after the Trump administration signed off on the agreement. The deal is expected to send 7,500 smart bombs to Saudi Arabia’s military.
Key Background
The United States has facilitated dozens of weapons deals with Saudi Arabia in recent decades, but these agreements have earned scrutiny recently because of the country’s human rights record. Observers have warned Saudi Arabia is using U.S.-built weapons for airstrikes in Yemen, leading to civilian casualties in that country’s civil war and humanitarian crisis. Also, after Saudi Arabia earned bipartisan scorn for its alleged involvement in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, Trump chose to stand by the country, arguing a halt in arms sales would damage the U.S.-Saudi alliance.
What To Watch For
Two years ago, then-presidential candidate Biden vowed to stop assisting Saudi Arabia’s military intervention against Houthi rebel groups in Yemen.
Tangent
Biden’s freeze on arms sales could also pause a massive deal to sell dozens of F-35 planes to the United Arab Emirates, an agreement negotiated last year in tandem with Trump’s push for the UAE to recognize Israel. Some critics worry the deal could spark an arms race in the Middle East, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly opposed to the sale because he worries it could undermine Israel’s military edge in the region.
