The Faceoff over U.S. Arms Sales to the Gulf: What Next?

On May 24, the Trump administration issued a national emergency declaration citing tensions with Iran to bypass congressional opposition to arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The order covers 22 contracts worth over $8 billion. On June 5, a bipartisan group of senators announced 22 separate joint resolutions of disapproval aimed at blocking these emergency sales, citing the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Yemen as well as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other human rights concerns.

Which specific arms sales are senators trying to block, and why? What is the likelihood of success and how might the administration try to push back? Are Saudi Arabia and the UAE now caught in the crossfire of domestic U.S. disputes? What are the longer-term implications of these developments and what impact will they have on other major foreign policy issues requiring congressional input?

AGSIW hosted a dial-in briefing on these issues and more with David B. Des Roches, AGSIW non-resident fellow and associate professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, and Dana Stroul, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Listen to briefing

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