The US State Department has approved a potential $3 billion sale of F-15 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday.
The sale is expected to "support foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States," the Pentagon added, explaining that bolstering the defense capabilities of a "major non-NATO ally" in the Gulf region could help promote both political stability and economic growth.
The Pentagon explicitly stated that the sale would not alter the military balance of power in the region, nor would it have any adverse effects on the United States' defense readiness.
US-Saudi relations impact Iran, Middle East at large
This announcement comes as Iran is in its sixth week, embroiled in protests during which rights groups say security forces killed thousands of people, including bystanders. The rights groups describe the unrest as the biggest crackdown since Shi'ite Muslim clerics took power in the 1979 revolution. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest and deaths on “terrorists and rioters” backed by exiled opponents.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Riyadh will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military actions against Tehran, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.
The crown prince said the kingdom would not permit its territory or airspace to be used by any party for military action against Iran and emphasized respect for Iran’s sovereignty and dialogue as the preferred means of resolving disputes.
However, during a meeting in Washington on Friday, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman reportedly encouraged US officials to take adopt a more aggresive strategy with Iran, claiming that backing away from a potential strike would “embolden” Tehran, according to Axios.
“At this point, if this doesn’t happen, it will only embolden the regime,” he was quoted as saying. A second Gulf official at the same meeting reportedly cautioned that while a US strike could bring “bad outcomes,” failing to act would leave “Iran [coming out of this] stronger.”
Reuters and The Media Line Staff contributed to this report.