The United States has approved the sale of Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems worth more than $5 billion to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At the end of July, President Joe Biden was still in Saudi Arabia, where he met the controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, among others.
The Saudis can count on 300 Patriot missiles, the type of missile that has been regularly deployed in recent years against drone attacks by the Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen on Saudi Arabia. Since 2015, a war has been raging in Yemen between government forces, supported by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, and Houthi rebels supported by Iran.
The United Arab Emirates, an ally of the Saudis in the conflict in Yemen, is buying two THAAD systems, with 96 missiles, among other things. The American arms manufacturer Raytheon makes the Patriots, competitor Lockheed Martin makes the THAADs. The Saudis spend more than 3 billion dollars on the equipment, the Emirates just over 2 billion.
Earlier Tuesday, the UN announced that the ceasefire in Yemen since April will be extended for another two months. The hope is that the warring parties will use this period for intensive negotiations that will lead to a lasting peace.