The U.S. State Department approved a $1.96 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, featuring up to 20,000 advanced precision-guided munitions and warheads. BAE Systems will serve as the principal contractor through its division in Nashua, New Hampshire.
The approval follows Houthi missile strikes on an airport in Abha, southern Saudi Arabia, on July 13. The United States also approved a separate $48 million deal with Kuwait for C-17 aircraft support services, with Boeing as the main contractor.
These announcements come as the United States has reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and escalated multiple rounds of strikes amid ongoing hostilities between Washington and Tehran.