In another rebuke to Donald Trump, the United States senate approved three resolutions aimed at blocking President Donald Trump’s planned sale of guided missiles and other weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan.
The approval of the measures is another political rebuke of Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has drawn sharp criticism in Congress over human rights abuses and the mounting death toll from the war in Yemen.
US Senate rejects Trump’s plan to bypass Congress to complete $8bn in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other countries.
The 53-45 vote rejects Trump’s claim that “emergency” circumstances require the United States to provide Riyadh more precision-guided bombs because of “Iranian threats”.
Senator Bob Menendez, a top Democrat leader on foreign affairs, and Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican and political ally of Trump, led the challenge to the Saudi arms sales.
“These weapons won’t counter Iranian threats. This is all about using them in Yemen,” Menendez said in remarks to the Senate on Wednesday.
