US President Donald Trump's administration is planning to sell about 7,500 precision-guided munitions worth nearly $500 million to Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing congressional aides
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th May, 2020) US President Donald Trump's administration is planning to sell about 7,500 precision-guided munitions worth nearly $500 million to Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing congressional aides.
According to the aides, a preliminary notification of supply and sale plans was sent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee in mid-January, and a formal notice is expected soon, the newspaper said.
If the proposal is approved, Saudi Arabia will buy 7,500 Paveway IV precision-guided munitions, manufactured by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, in addition to 60,000 pieces that Riyadh bought under the 2019 deal.
The WSJ also reported that as part of the proposal, Washington will make a commitment that Raytheon Technologies will produce another $106 million worth of weapons in Saudi Arabia.
According to the newspaper, the proposal may renew objections from senior Democratic lawmakers questioning the timing and justification for the deal, and reignite tensions over arms sales to Washington's Gulf allies.
The proposal comes a year after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019 ordered that the Department of State approve 22 arms deals worth $8.1 billion with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, after the Trump administration declared an emergency linked to escalating threats from Iran. The emergency enabled the administration to bypass standard congressional notification procedures regarding arms sales, which triggered backlash among Democrats and some Republicans who tried to block the weapons transfers.
