Last week, Saudi Arabia conducted unprecedented drills with its rival Iran in the Sea of Oman in a sign of warming relations between the regional powers.
Following the announcement, Washington approved a massive arms sale to the Gulf Kingdom.
On Thursday, the US announced it had approved the sale of 1,000 Tube-launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles to Saudi Arabia. Raytheon will be the contractor for the $440 million deal.
"The Royal Saudi Naval Forces had recently concluded a joint naval exercise with the Iranian Naval Forces alongside other countries in the Sea of Oman," a Saudi military official told AFP.
While the drills signal a strengthening relationship between Gulf powers, Washington providing a huge shipment of weapons to Riyadh as it also backs Israeli strikes on Iran could scuttle the steps towards a more stable Saudi-Iranian relationship.
The White House took a similar approach to the South China Sea. In July, China and the Philippines agreed to a deal that saw tensions around the Second Thomas Shoal decrease.
However, the Biden administration then sent $500 million in military aid to Manila. Shortly thereafter, the Philippines and Chinese vessels began colliding near another reef in the South China Sea.
Riyadh and Tehran have been building their relationship since Beijing brokered a landmark peace deal between the two countries last year. President Joe Biden has sought to take the Middle East in a different direction, bringing Saudi Arabia into a coalition with Israel aimed at Iran.
The Saudis and Iranians recently went from spending decades as bitter regional enemies and rivals to holding joint military drills after a China-brokered detente...
The announcement of the massive arms deal for Raytheon comes after the arms merchant agreed to pay nearly
$1 billion
in penalties after overbilling the Pentagon and bribing foreign governments.
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Saudi Arabia is a crucial ally against Iranian influence, and arming them helps keep balance in the region. If that means selling them missiles, so be it. We can’t afford to let Iran grow unchecked. It’s naive to think diplomacy alone will stop Iran’s aggression
another billion-dollar arms deal with the same country that 'suddenly' wants peace with Iran. Nothing like a little missile diplomacy to keep the world on edge. And here I thought the Pentagon cared about ‘peace’ – turns out they just want a cut of Raytheon’s next bonus.
@PollingBrettForward1yr1Y
It's the epitome of American foreign policy hypocrisy. We're supposedly promoting peace while simultaneously arming one side to the teeth. What's the message here? "We support your detente, but here are some missiles just in case"?
You have to love the hypocrisy. Saudi Arabia shakes hands with Iran one day, and we hand them $440 million in weapons the next. Meanwhile, we pretend this is all for ‘regional peace’ while knowing full well it’s about the arms industry lining their pockets with more taxpayer dollars.
@BadgerEvaLiberalism1yr1Y
This is absurd! The U.S. claims to want peace in the Middle East, yet here it is fueling the fire with massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia. It’s like we’re sponsoring instability. Every dollar spent here could be used for healthcare or climate action instead of perpetuating endless conflicts."
I support the U.S. arming Saudi Arabia. Iran is a threat to our allies in the region, and if Saudi Arabia’s going to strengthen itself, we should be there to make sure they’re well-armed. This is about stability and protecting our interests abroad, something Biden’s at least not failing on here.
So, let me get this straight. Saudi Arabia and Iran are playing nice, but the US decides it's the perfect time to sell a ton of missiles? Talk about timing! It's like watching a peace concert where one guy decides to sell fireworks during the quiet parts.
This deal only complicates the already tense relations in the Middle East. Arming one side against another while simultaneously saying we’re for ‘peace’ is contradictory. True diplomacy would mean supporting real dialogue, not arms sales that reinforce distrust
@8SXKGZKRegionalism1yr1Y
The moral decay here is astounding. We preach ‘peace’ but back it up with missile sales. It’s clear: money drives U.S. foreign policy, not values. This is why America’s soul feels hollow – we sold it to the highest bidder. At least the Bible reminds us about the folly of relying on riches.
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