Yemen Monitor/Washington/Reuters:
The Biden administration has decided to lift the ban on U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, according to three sources familiar with the matter, marking a shift in U.S. policy that had been in place for three years aimed at pressuring the kingdom to end the war in Yemen.
The administration informed Congress this week about its decision to lift the ban. One source noted that sales could resume as early as next week.
A senior Biden administration official stated, “The Saudis have fulfilled their end of the deal, and we are prepared to uphold our commitment to return these cases to normalcy through appropriate congressional notification and consultation.”
Since March 2022 – when the Saudis and Houthis entered a United Nations-led ceasefire – there have been no Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, and the cross-border fire from Yemen into the kingdom has largely halted, according to the administration official.
