Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE to receive more weapons from the US amid escalation in Yemen

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

US supplied weapons help the Saudi-led coalition to carry on with the war in Yemen

Illustrative image. A THAAD missile defense system being tested (US Air Force)

The US Department of Defense announced on 3 February that the State Department has approved the sale of Fighter Jets and air defense systems to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.

According to the Department of Defense, under the approved package, Jordan will receive 2 Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 70 fighters, four F-16D Block 70s and supporting military equipment at a total cost of $4.21 billion, Saudi Arabia will receive upgrades to its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to the tune of $23.7 million while the UAE will purchase spare parts worth $65 million for its missile defense system.

The deal comes amid an escalation in the war in Yemen where two of the recipients, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are waging a brutal war against the Yemeni Armed Forces, who since 2015, have been defending their country against their occupation.

It is believed that the upgrades to missile defense systems of the two countries have been necessitated by the retaliatory drone and missile attacks that the Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out on both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks.  The statement by the US Department of Defense stated that “the proposed sale will provide the Saudi armed forces with the equipment, training, and follow-on support necessary to protect Saudi Arabia, and the region, from the destabilizing effects of terrorism, countering Iranian influence, and other threats.”

The brutal campaign against Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition has to a large extent been made possible by weapons supplied by the U.S. In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden had promised to stop the sale of US weapons to Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition of aggression. However, after assuming office, he has reneged on his promise. The coalition continues to receive the weapons it needs to continue inflicting suffering on the Yemeni people.

On 21 December 2021, the Saudi-led coalition bombed the Sanaa International Airport using US-supplied fighter planes. The attack has severely restricted the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid. The movement has worsened the acute humanitarian crisis that has been triggered by the seven-year-long siege of the most impoverished country in the region. The war has damaged most of the essential infrastructure and pushed millions of citizens to the verge of starvation.