US Military Aid to Saudi Arabia Limited by Missile Shortage, Expert Says

A shortage of missiles and other weapons stops Washington from sending help to Riyadh. Big deliveries to Ukraine and the war with Iran drained American stocks, says Kent professor Richard Sakwa.

US Military Aid to Saudi Arabia Faces a Weapons Gap

Washington backs Saudi Arabia, but US military aid to Saudi Arabia is not on the table. The reason is simple. American stocks of missiles and other weapons are running low. Large deliveries to Ukraine drained them. So did the heavy use of ammunition in the fighting against Iran. Richard Sakwa, professor of politics at the University of Kent, shared this view with reporters in Istra, Moscow Region, on September 28.

What the Expert Said

Sakwa spoke on the sidelines of the Valdai Discussion Club. He was blunt about the state of American arsenals.

“The United States supports Saudi Arabia, but not in military terms. They do not have enough weapons, they have run out of missiles, and very few Tomahawks and everything else are left. They used it in Ukraine, they handed it over there,” Sakwa said.

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Iran War and Israel Deliveries Add Pressure

The professor added that the conflict with Iran also cut into American missile supplies. Weapons sent to Israel played a part too. In his view, Washington could strike the Houthis in Yemen if it had the right weapons.

Houthi Strikes on Saudi Targets

Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, is a Shiite movement that rules northern Yemen. On September 16, the group claimed missile and drone strikes on a Saudi Aramco facility in the city of Yanbu. It also claimed strikes on the Khamis Mushait air base in Saudi Arabia. Media reports on September 22 said Saudi Arabia may restart oil product exports from the port of Yanbu. These attacks form the backdrop to the debate over US military aid to Saudi Arabia.

Valdai Club Meets Near Moscow

The 23rd session of the Valdai international discussion club runs in the Moscow Region from September 28 to October 1. It brings together 120 participants from 40 countries. The main theme is “Responsibility for the Future: The Limits of the Possible or Possibilities Without Limit?”

The club opened with its annual report, titled “No Panic: The State and Responsibility for the Future.” Thematic sessions, an open discussion and meetings with Russian officials come next. The plenary session on October 1 is the central event and closes the program.