The Biden administration has lifted a ban on transfers of some air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia, reversing a policy it put in place at the start of his presidency.
“We will consider new transfers on a typical case-by-case basis consistent with the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.
The U.S. government had provided offensive strike weapons to Saudi Arabia throughout the Obama and Trump administrations. Those weapons had aided a Saudi-led coalition intervening on behalf of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in its battle against the Houthi terrorist group for control of the country.
By April 2022, the belligerents in the Yemeni internal conflict had brokered a temporary cease-fire in Yemen that they’ve since stretched into a more lasting peace.
“As with all countries, we will continue to monitor Saudi compliance with the Law of Armed Conflict and adherence to civilian harm mitigation principles and best practices and reassess any proposed or pending arms transfers if we see credible reports of abuses or violations,” the State Department spokesperson said.
While the cease-fire within Yemen has held, the Houthis have turned their attention outward, in recent months, toward the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip. The Yemeni terror group has launched missile and drone attacks at Israel, declaring solidarity with Hamas. The Houthis have also attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea that they believe to be supporting or otherwise connected to Israel.
The State Department spokesperson said the Saudi government has helped to prevent the current Middle East conflicts from escalating and has “met their end of the deal” in terms of enabling the Yemen peace process since 2022.
“Meanwhile, the Houthis have proven once again to be a group intent on using terror to advance its agenda, including through targeting civilian shipping in the Red Sea,” the State Department spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the United States will continue to strike Houthi targets and sanction the group and that “this pressure will continue to build over the coming weeks.”