US approves nearly $2bn in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department has approved an estimated $1.96 billion weapons sale to bolster Saudi Arabia's air defenses as the Middle East war escalates. The weapons include up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) and warheads, with BAE Systems in Nashua, New Jersey as the principal contractor. The sale comes as Saudi Arabia appears on the brink of renewed war with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, who fired missiles at Abha airport on Monday.