Saudi Arabia: US Senate vote a warning sign for arms deals


Issue 1039 - 23 Jun 2017 | 2 minute read

US senators came close to scuppering a deal to sell $510m worth of precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia on 13 June, with 47 voting to block the deal and 53 voting in favour. The vote mostly went along partisan lines, although five Democrats voted to support the sale and four Republicans voted against. The vote is a worrying sign for Riyadh for two reasons: it is an indication that US politicians are running out of patience with the Saudi war effort in Yemen; and it is a sign that arms deals may yet fall victim to partisan politics in Washington.

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