Saudi Arabia said Friday it has signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets to maximise its defence capabilities in order to protect the oil-rich kingdom. The deal the United States said is worth $30 billion “ensures the kingdom receives the highest possible defence capabilities to protect its people and land,” state news agency SPA quoted a defence ministry spokesman as saying. The United States said Thursday the arms deal sent a “strong message” to the Gulf region.
The announcement came with tensions between Iran and the United States on the rise after Tehran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers if Washington implements a new raft of sanctions over its nuclear programme. The $29.4 billion deal, which was signed on Saturday in Riyadh, will supply 84 new Boeing F-15SA aircraft, modernise 70 existing planes, and also includes munitions, spare parts, training and maintenance contracts, US officials said.
