The United States approved on Tuesday (19) the sale of 50 Abrams M1A2 combat tanks worth US$2.2 billion to Bahrain, the State Department said.
The small island nation is an ally of Washington in the Middle East, but was the target of a US arms embargo after its crackdown on demonstrations by Shiite parties in the wake of the Arab Spring in 2011.
“The proposed sale will enhance Bahrain’s ability to counter current and future threats by providing a credible force that can deter adversaries and provide the capability to participate in regional operations with the United States and other partner nations,” the State Department said in a statement.
The department noted that it has notified Congress of the transaction with Bahrain, a country that maintains tense relations with neighboring Iran. Lawmakers can still block the sale, but most military deals usually go through.
Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is classified as one of its main non-NATO allies, which gives it privileged defense cooperation with the United States.
As the only Arab country, Bahrain participated as a member of the coalition led by the United States and the United Kingdom, which has been taking action against the Huthi rebels in Yemen, allies of Iran, for their attacks on merchant ships in solidarity, according to the rebels, with the Palestinians in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Abrams tanks are among the heaviest in the world and are a mainstay of the US Army, which has also sent them to Ukraine.