Spain cancels bombs sale to Saudi Arabia amid Yemen concerns

Spain said Tuesday it has canceled the delivery of 400 laser-guided bombs purchased by Saudi Arabia, amid fears that the weapons could be used against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The arms deal was originally signed in 2015 under Spain’s former conservative government, but the new center-left administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to return the €9.2 million (U.S. $10.7 million) already paid by the Saudis, Cadena SER radio reported Tuesday.
A Defence Ministry spokeswoman confirmed the report, but declined to elaborate. She was not authorized to be identified in media reports.
Sanchez's Socialist party had promised to revise the country's arms deals before the new prime minister ousted his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, in a parliamentary vote in June.
The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, visited all four countries in April this year. Two months later, his government signed the purchase of five naval corvettes that a Spanish state-owned military shipbuilder has pledged to deliver for €2 billion. The contract had been in the works for years.
As a longtime commercial ally of Saudi Arabia, Spain is the fourth-largest provider of military equipment and weapons to the Gulf state.
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