Bill Aims To Stop US Arms Supplies to Saudi Arabia for a Year

This comes amid comments of a reassessment of the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia by President Joe Biden following the approval of the largest OPEC+ oil supply cut. 

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The bill introduced on Tuesday, is aimed at establishing "a one-year temporary suspension of all proposed direct commercial sales and foreign military sales to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of weaponry and munitions."

This would mean a halt to US sales of ammunition, weapons support and equipment, repair parts, as well as U.S. government and contractor services.

According to White House spokesman John Kirby, U.S.-Saudi relations are to be reassessed by Biden following OPEC+'s decision to cut oil production. 

Speaking to CNN, Kirby said, "I think the president has been very clear that this is a relationship that we have to continue to reevaluate, that we have to be willing to revisit." "Certainly, in light of the OPEC decision, I think that's where he's at."

On Wednesday last week, OPEC's 13 members, led by Saudi Arabia, and its ten partners, led by Russia, approved a production cut of two million barrels per day starting in November.

The U.S., demanding an increase in production to counter rising gasoline prices in the country, opposed this measure, seeing it as a result of alignment with Russia. 

According to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, the OPEC+ production cut aims at stabilizing the world market in the midst of a slowing economy, far from directly targeting the U.S.

The uncertain global oil market scenario is marked by Western sanctions against Russian energy supplies in connection with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, along with the European Union (EU) price cap on Russian oil.