Spain says it will go ahead with a shipment of precision bombs to Saudi Arabia after consultations with Riyadh, reversing a previous decision and angering rights groups who claim the weapons could harm civilians in Yemen.
Foreign Minister Josep Borrell told Onda Cero radio Thursday that the government has found no irregularities after reviewing a 2015 deal for 400 laser-guided bombs signed under a previous administration.
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Shipbuilders in southern Spain have protested in recent days over fears that Saudi Arabia could scrap a separate $2.1 billion purchase of five navy corvettes in retaliation for the bomb shipment’s cancellation.
Borrell said: “We have been discussing and analyzing for a week and finally we reached the conclusion that we had to fulfill the contract.”
Saudi diplomats in Madrid offered no comment.
