The White House has lifted the ban on U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia

This week, the administration updated Congress on its decision to lift the ban, with a congressional aide indicating that sales could potentially resume as soon as next week. Notifications about the sale were expected to be sent out by Friday afternoon.

A senior Biden administration official stated, "The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours."

U.S. law requires that major international weapons deals be reviewed by Congress before finalization. There has been bipartisan concern about supplying offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia due to its military actions in Yemen and various human rights issues. However, this opposition has lessened amid the recent turmoil in the Middle East following Hamas' attack on Israel and changes in Yemen's conflict dynamics.

The regional threat level has increased since late last month, with Iran and Hezbollah vowing retaliation against Israel following the death of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The Biden administration is also working on a defense pact and a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, part of a broader plan that aims to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, though this goal remains challenging.

Since the U.N.-led truce between the Saudis and Houthis in March 2022, there have been no Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, and cross-border fire from Yemen into Saudi Arabia has largely ceased.

In 2021, Biden took a tougher stance on arms sales to Saudi Arabia due to the heavy civilian casualties from the Saudi campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis. Yemen’s war is viewed as part of the broader regional struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the conflict having caused immense humanitarian suffering.

The senior U.S. official mentioned ongoing efforts to degrade Houthi capabilities through airstrikes and other measures, including sanctions on Houthi smuggling networks and military assets. The Houthis have been designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, with further pressures expected in the coming weeks.