US approves $1 billion in Saudi defense contracts

WASHINGTON: The United States formally approved defense contracts totalling more than $1 billion with Saudi Arabia on Thursday, as the kingdom's crown prince continued his American tour.



The State Department confirmed it had green-lighted a $670 million deal for anti-tank missiles, a $106 million contract for helicopter maintenance and $300 million for ground vehicle parts.

An official said the deals had been in the pipeline since President Donald Trump agreed more than $100 billion in contracts on a visit to Riyadh last year, but were now formalized.