US approves sale of smart bombs to Saudi Arabia‏

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 3000 precision guided munitions to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a deal valued at up to US$290 billion, the Pentagon said on Tuesday (local time).

The sale comes in the final days of US President Donald Trump's term.

The package would include 3000 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) munitions, containers, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon said.

"The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its stocks of long-range, precision air-to-ground munitions," the Pentagon said in a statement.

It added that "the size and accuracy of the SDB I allows for an effective munition with less collateral damage."