WASHINGTON – The US State Department on Wednesday approved the sale of weapons worth an estimated $1.96 billion to Saudi Arabia.

"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.

The principal contractor will be BAE Systems, said the department. The move comes as tensions between Houthi forces in Yemen and Saudi Arabia have intensified.

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The arms sale also comes amid escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran, with Washington stepping up military operations against Tehran after reimposing a naval blockade.