Amid a push for more oil, the Biden administration is reportedly considering lifting its ban on offensive weapons sales to Riyadh ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia later this week.
Four sources familiar with the discussions confirmed the deliberations that are strictly internal, informal, and far from the decision-making stage at this time so no talks on the issue have been held with the Saudis yet.
According to the report, the decision of the Biden administration would most likely depend on whether Saudi Arabia manages to get any closer to reaching a political settlement that will end its years-long war in Yemen.
The matter is extra sensitive also due to the reports that the Saudi-led coalition has reportedly used US-made weapons against civilian targets, so the White House must approach the matter with utmost caution.
According to Amnesty International’s report in January, the coalition has killed dozens of people in an airstrike on a detention center in Yemen using American precision-guided munitions.
Although Saudi officials have been putting on their American counterparts to reverse the decision at any opportunity for months now, trying to get the ban lifted, it was President Biden who made clear his intention to reset the strained relations with the kingdom he had previously called a “pariah” state.
Many believe that his efforts to secure an increase in oil production that could help bring gas prices down is the main reason for the announced reset after leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE reportedly snubbed back in March Biden’s phone calls to urge them to ramp up oil production.
Citing congressional aides, Reuters emphasized that any attempts of President Biden to reverse the outstanding ban on offensive arms sales to the Saudis are certain to encounter opposition in Congress from both Republicans and Democrats.
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