Washington, July 19 (RHC)-- The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to block President Trump’s move to sidestep Congress by allowing U.S. weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. House Democrats voted to send three resolutions of disapproval of the sales to the White House, where President Trump has promised a veto. 

Only four Republicans supported the measures, which would bar the sale of more than $8 billion of Raytheon precision-guided weapons systems.  Critics say such weapons have been used to target civilians in the Saudi-led war on Yemen, which has sparked the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. 

Meanwhile, the White House said Wednesday it will deploy 500 U.S. troops to the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia as President Trump continues to ratchet up tensions with the kingdom’s main regional rival, Iran.  This comes as Iranian state television said today its Revolutionary Guard forces have seized a foreign oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, with 12 crew members on board. Iran accuses the sailors of illegally smuggling hundreds of thousands of gallons of Iranian fuel to Foreign customers.