The essay investigates how the United States used a ban on the sale of offensive weaponry to exert influence over Saudi Arabia’s behaviour during the Yemen war. The restriction, which was adopted by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden in 2021, compelled Saudi Arabia to limit the number of civilian casualties and to participate in more diplomatic activities. Saudi Arabia’s response consisted of complying with international laws of war, significantly lowering its air campaign in Yemen, and providing support for peace initiatives led by the United Nations.
This tactic was successful primarily as a result of Saudi Arabia’s profound dependence on the armaments supplied by the United States as well as its strategic goal in establishing a defence pact with the United States, which contained aspirations for a normalization agreement with Israel. Washington was able to exert pressure on Saudi Arabia without substantially damaging bilateral relations because of the close military connections that exist between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
In spite of this, the article makes the observation that this strategy might not be as successful with other countries, particularly those that have a diverse range of defence relationships or fewer strategic interests that are aligned with those of the United States. Washington gained a large amount of leverage as a result of Saudi Arabia’s historical reliance on military platforms provided by the United States and its strategic priorities. It is possible that such restrictions on the sale of guns would have a considerably less significant impact on nations that have a wider range of defence options and are less dependent on support from the United States.
In conclusion, and despite the fact that the offensive arms sales restriction was successful in the particular instance of Saudi Arabia owing to the specific circumstances that were present, it is possible that it would not be applicable to other countries that have different strategic objectives. In spite of this, the policy demonstrated how weapons sales from the United States might be utilized to influence the actions of close friends under the appropriate circumstances.
Read the full article here.
