US approves nearly $2bn in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department said Wednesday it has approved the sale of an estimated $1.96 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia, as the war ramps up in the Middle East.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region," the State Department said in a release.