America sells arms to Saudi and the UAE worth $11 billion

The US Department of Defence has announced its intention to sell arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates valued at $11 billion. Officials at the Pentagon said that they are submitting a draft contract for the deal to the US Congress this week.

Among the weapons and ammunition being sold to America’s allies in the Middle East are GBU-39 “bunker-buster” bombs; Saudi Arabia will get 1,000 of the bombs while the UAE is taking 5,000. Intercontinental ballistic missiles are also believed to be included in the arms package.

Most of the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, regard neighbouring Iran as a major threat in the region and are boosting their defence capabilities despite the thaw in relations between Washington and Tehran.