WASHINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department on Wednesday approved the sale of weapons worth an estimated 1.96 billion U.S. dollars to Saudi Arabia.

The US Department of Justice. (File Photo: AP)

"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.

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.