Germany lifts the ban on selling fighter jets to Saudi Arabia
The German Foreign Minister emphasizes Riyadh's constructive role in the security crisis in the region since the Hamas attack
Germany is now prepared to allow new sales of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as announced by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Sunday. The German veto had hindered a contract signed several years ago, mainly due to the war in Yemen and the file of the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Baerbock stated during her visit to Israel that the German federal government “does not oppose British considerations” regarding the sale of more Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia, emphasizing Riyadh’s constructive role in the security crisis since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th.
Germany had frozen arms sales to Riyadh since Khashoggi’s murder in late 2018, blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which consequently obstructed a large order for the purchase of 48 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft signed in London during a visit by the Crown Prince several years ago. The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain lead the Eurofighter program, which brings together manufacturers BAE Systems, Airbus, and Leonardo.
Baerbock, during her visit to Israel, pointed out that Saudi Arabia and Israel “have not abandoned normalization policy” after the October 7th attack, while reports suggest that these talks have stalled due to the war in Gaza. Germany’s embargo, imposed for several years, has angered its British and French partners. Baerbock added that “the world, especially here in the Middle East, has become a completely different place since October 7th.”
German politicians had previously criticized the Arab coalition’s operations led by Saudi Arabia against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. However, this criticism has diminished since the start of peace negotiation efforts and the threat posed by the rebels in Yemen to navigation in the Red Sea amid the Gaza war.
The rebels in Yemen launched attacks with drones and ballistic missiles on cargo ships in the Red Sea due to the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. This led to the formation of a maritime alliance to secure navigation, while Riyadh and other countries in the region declared their non-participation.
Last July, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany would not deliver Eurofighter fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in the near future, with “Zuddeutsche Zeitung” newspaper reporting at the time that Berlin linked any such step to the end of the war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition fighting Houthi rebels aligned with Iran in Yemen since 2015. The rebellion of the Iran-backed group has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Yemenis and the destruction of the country’s resources.
Germany is not the only country that imposed a ban on exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has also prohibited the export of defensive weapons due to Riyadh’s decision to cut oil production by about 2.5 million barrels per day, seen as support for Moscow after the war in Ukraine, a claim denied by Saudi authorities.”
