Special to WorldTribune.com

The Obama administration has approved the sale of thousands of smart bombs to Saudi Arabia in a deal seen by many as compensation for the Iran nuclear agreement.

President Barack Obama had vowed to increase U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia and other Sunni allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after his administration paved the way for the nuclear deal with Iran, Saudi’s Shi’ite rival.

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which facilitates foreign arms sales, said on Nov. 13 that the sales had been approved. U.S. officials said the deal, worth $1.29 billion, will help Saudi rebuild its missile arsenal which has been depleted in its war with Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in Syria.

The Saudis will receive thousands of Paveway II, BLU-117 and other smart bombs, and thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits to turn older bombs into precision-guided weapons using GPS signals.

Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the largest customers for U.S. defense majors. In September, the U.S. approved the sale of 600 Patriot-PAC-3 air defense missiles, a $5.4 billion deal, and last month approved the sale of up to four Littoral Combat Ships for $11.25 billion.

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