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TEHRAN, Feb 20 - UK Foreign Secretary slams Germany arms sales freez to Saudi regime on the ground that it can hurt UK arms export.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Hunt said he was concerned about the impact of Germany’s decision on the UK and European arms industry and Europe’s ability to live up to its NATO commitments, according to Der Spiegel magazine.
In a letter to Heiko Maas, dated February 7, the UK top diplomat described the plight of 500 UK arms suppliers who risked breaching contractual obligations because the weapons they sell have German-made parts.
Hunt warned Maas that the freeze on sales affected exports of joint European projects, such as the Tornado jet and a Eurofighter model Typhoon, and threatened Germany’s image as a trusted partner.
Germany banned weapon sales to Saudi Arabia last fall following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey after previously criticizing Riyadh for its role in Yemen war.
The UK has licensed over £4.7 billion worth of arms exports, including missiles and fighter jets, to Riyadh since the deadly conflict began.
Britain has also been providing combat intelligence and target data to Saudi Arabia over the course of the war, which has killed thousands of Yemeni civilians and put millions more on the verge of famine.
The war is being led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, who wishes to reinstate Yemen’s fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and destroy the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
The Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has already said that a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.
According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in more than 100 years.
A number of Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are also accused of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and intelligence assistance.
Source: Sputnik News
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