US to sell 10,000 general-purpose bombs to Riyadh

Now, top story of the hour, the U.S. has approved a potential $5 billion sale of bombs and precision guidance kits to Saudi Arabia. And the deal is part of a broader $6.1 billion visual arms clearance that includes defense support for Oman and Iraq. According to U.S. State Department, the sale to reinforce the defensive posture of a major non-NATO ally, and it is aimed at strengthening Riyadh's homeland defense and improving operational interoperability between U.S. forces and Gulf partners. Now, the package includes more than 10,000 general-purpose bombs split almost evenly between 500-pound and 2,000-pound munitions. Now, to convert these standard bombs into precision-guided weapons, the deal provides over 10,000 joint direct attack munition extended range guidance kits. A separate $750 million sale covering AGT-1500 tank engines has also been cleared. The State Department has notified Congress of the proposed sales, which remains subject to legislative review. Saudi Arabia continues to face drone and missile strikes from Iranian forces and Yemen's Houthis amid the ongoing regional war. While recent packages focused heavily on air defense interception like Patriot and THAAD missile extensions, providing this massive volume of precision guidance kits ensures Saudi aircraft maintain offensive capabilities to strike land targets, raising the stakes and deterrence against Iranian forces and proxies. Beyond Saudi Arabia, the State Department approved a potential $188 million sale to Oman to maintain its fleet of F-16 fighter jets. Washington also authorized a $150 million sale of Bell 412 APX helicopters to Iraq, coming just days after clearing another $800 million helicopter package for Baghdad.