After months of foot-dragging, the United States Wednesday suspended deliveries of major military hardware and cash assistance to Egypt to signal deep concern over the mounting bloodshed and the lack of a democratic transition.

Washington said it had stopped shipments of some large-scale military systems as well as halting $260 million in cash aid to Egyptian military leaders, who are currently running the country after ousting its first democratically elected president.

Although the US review of its decades-old policy would not be permanent, it would remain in place "pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically-elected civilian government through free and fair elections," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement. Marking a dramatic break with years of unqualified support to Cairo, the decision will prevent deliveries of big-ticket items, including Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets, M1A1 Abrams tank parts and Harpoon missiles, officials told reporters. [Link]