In a major U-turn, Biden administration to lift arms embargo on Saudi Arabia: Report

Relations between Saudi Arabia and the USare expectedto improve as the latter is mulling lifting the ban on selling offensive weapons to the kingdom state in coming weeks, Financial Times has reportedcitingUS officials. US President Joe Biden had introduced these restrictions three years agoshortlyafter entering the White House, in line with his long-held vow to make Saudi Arabia a'pariah'state. Biden had promised to punish Saudi Arabia and its de-facto rulerCrownPrince Mohammed bin Salmanforthe alleged use of US-made weapons in attacks against Yemen civilians.

Saudi Arabia had entered the Yemen conflict nine years ago in a bid to oust the Iran-backed Houthi group but largely remained unsuccessful. In 2022, the UN brokered a peace deal thereandRiyadh has largely refrained from involving itself in the conflict since then.

According to the Financial Times, the US has already conveyed its intention to lift the ban on Saudi Arabia, one of thecountry'slargestarms export destinations and a traditional ally in West Asia.

More bilateral dealscoming

According to US officials, scores of bilateral dealsare expectedtobe finalisedin the coming weeks, including a defence pact and US cooperation on thekingdom’snascent civilian nuclear programme.

The US-Saudi deals might also pave the wayfor the renewal ofSaudi-Israel normalisation talks. However, a US officialmade clearto the Financial Times that the two aspects were not interlinked.

Yemen peace talks stalled

Yemen talks stalked after Iran-backed Hamas launched terror attacks in Israel on October 7. The Houthis have also supportedHamas'campaign against Israel over the past months by disrupting flows through one of theworld’skeymaritime trade routes in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

However, Saudi Arabia has continued engaging with a UN-mediated Yemeni peace process. Riyadh even refrained from joining a US-led maritime task force againstHouthis,in a bid to send a clear message to the Iranian proxy that itdidn’twant to irk them.

(With inputs from agencies)