TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States Department of State on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, approved the sale of weapons worth around US$1.96 billion to Saudi Arabia.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region," the U.S. Department of State said in a press release as reported by Xinhua and quoted by Antara.
BAE Systems will be the prime contractor, the department said.
The move comes as tensions escalate between the Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
This decision is also made amid increasing confrontations between the U.S. and Iran, with Washington strengthening its military operations against Tehran after reinstating a naval blockade.
Houthi-Saudi Escalation
As reported by The Business Standard, Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles towards Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control on Monday, July 13. This action broke a four-year ceasefire in the conflict between Saudi and the Iranian-aligned Shia group.
Saudi Arabia intercepted the missiles "launched by Houthi terrorist militias towards southern areas," claimed the spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen through the X platform.
Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that they targeted the international airport in Abha, Saudi Arabia, the capital of the southern mountainous region bordering Yemen, where many Saudis seek to escape the summer heat.
The attack marks the first claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia since an informal ceasefire was implemented in March 2022 following Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.
Iranian Aircraft
Earlier on Monday, the Houthi movement, which controls northern Yemen, accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out airstrikes on the international airport in Sanaa and pledged to retaliate. The Houthis described the attack as "overt aggression" and declared that they had ended the de-escalation period.
They also warned airlines against flying through Saudi Arabian airspace until the blockade on Sanaa airport is lifted.
The attack on Sanaa airport was claimed by the internationally recognized government of Yemen, which receives strong support from Riyadh, where many of its members reside.
The Yemeni government's Defense Ministry stated that the runway at Sanaa International Airport was targeted to prevent Iranian aircraft from landing, deemed as a violation of Yemeni sovereignty.
It stated that government forces will respond to any enemy aircraft trespassing into Yemeni airspace "using all available means" and hold Iran responsible.
A military spokesperson later stated that the aircraft had landed at the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah airport.
It is unclear if any efforts were made to prevent the aircraft from landing in Hodeidah, which is located approximately 150 km southwest of Sanaa, on Yemen's Red Sea coast.
Read: US Fires at Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz, Iran: 'We Never Welcomed War'
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