Top US Senator Calls for Action over Oil Production Cuts

Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East program at the Centre for a New American Security, told The National that the House foreign affairs committee already had a policy blocking sales to Riyadh that were not specifically for national defensive measures, such as Patriot Missile batteries used to stop Houthi attacks. "What's significant about this announcement is that presumably … it would foreclose the ability of us to sell the Saudis defensive military equipment like Patriot battery-related missile replenishment," Mr. Lord said.

"What's significant about this announcement is that presumably … it would foreclose the ability of us to sell the Saudis defensive military equipment like Patriot battery-related missile replenishment," Mr Lord said.

"And that's particularly significant at this moment, because it was just announced in August, a foreign military sale worth just over $3 billion for the US to replenish the Saudis Patriot missile battery supply."

"Those batteries become depleted if you fire the missiles. And so [the Saudis] would ultimately be at risk of not being able to use their Patriots over time if those stocks fall below a certain threshold."

Read the full story and more from The National News.