German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed that Germany would not be dispatching Eurofighter combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia in the foreseeable future. This statement comes in response to a government document cited by a newspaper which associated the potential transaction with the cessation of the war in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and left millions in famine.
Chancellor Scholz informed reporters at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, that a decision regarding the dispatch of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia would not be made in the near future. A government source also disclosed to Reuters that this issue would not be addressed during the current legislative term, ending in 2025.
Earlier the same day, Germany’s SZ newspaper referenced an internal government document which stated that “export license applications for Saudi Arabia would be delayed until the end of the Yemen war”.
Following the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, Germany suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia, adopting a considerably stricter stance than significant allies like the United States, France, and Britain.
However, in the wake of Saudi Arabia and Iran’s reconciliation earlier this year, Britain has contended that Germany can no longer obstruct the export of Eurofighter jets to third parties.
Five years ago, Britain’s BAE Systems agreed to supply 48 jets. However, a third of the jet components originate from Germany.
Reports from earlier this month suggested a disagreement within Germany’s ruling coalition over yielding to British pressure, with the Greens strongly opposing the move.
