US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday that arms agreements worth $110 billion signed with Saudi Arabia aim to help the kingdom deal with "malign Iranian influence".
"The package of defence equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region," Tillerson told reporters in Riyadh, where President Donald Trump was on his first visit abroad since taking office.
This is "in particular in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian-related threats which exist on Saudi Arabia's borders on all sides," Tillerson told reporters in Riyadh.
"Additionally it bolsters the kingdom's ability to provide for its own security and contributing to counter-terrorism operations throughout the region."
Tillerson said the proposed defence packages also cover border security, maritime and air security, air force modernisation, missile defence, cybersecurity and communications upgrades.
The "huge" package will leave Saudi Arabia "more capable of carrying a greater share of the burden of their own security", Tillerson said.
For more than two years Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the coalition over civilian casualties.
"Many of the armaments we're providing to Saudi Arabia will help them be much more precise and targeted with many of their strikes," Tillerson said.
He added "it's important that pressure be kept on the rebels" while pursuing efforts toward a political solution.
Oil development plans nearly ready for Senegal
Operators drilling for oil offshore Senegal said they have enough data to start preparations for submitting development plans to the government next year.
Cairn Energy, which has a controlling interest in some of the operations in the oil basins off the coast of Senegal, said oil flowed from its SNE-6 appraisal well, which also proved it was connected to other wells in the series.
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