Senators angered by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition's conduct in Yemen's civil war came within striking distance Tuesday of blocking the sale of roughly $510 million in precision-guided weapons to the kingdom.

The sale will be allowed to proceed with 53 senators -- almost all of them Republicans -- voting against a measure sponsored by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Al Franken, D-Minn.

But with 47 votes, opponents of the sale witnessed their ranks swell and after the vote critics of the arms deal predicted they had reached a tipping point.

"I hope the Saudis heard this message loud and clear," Murphy said on a conference call. "This is a trend line that will continue."

Last year, opponents of a $1.15 billion sale of tanks and machine guns to Saudi Arabia could muster only 27 votes in the Senate, with a similar core group making similar arguments.

Since the last vote, the United Nations estimated in March that 17 million people in Yemen face severe food insecurity. Saudi bombs are believed to have killed more than 4,000 civilians in a fruitless effort since 2015 to reinstall ousted leader Mansur Hadi.

Other parts of a $110 billion arms deal struck by President Donald Trump with the Saudis in May have yet to be presented to Congress. Senators have a right to force votes on each of the packages under the Arms Export Control Act.

During a short floor debate, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he believed opposition to the arms deal was driven in part by opposition to Trump.

Corker argued that Saudi Arabia was an ally and that Yemeni rebels allied with a former U.S.-backed leader are friendly with Iran. And he said the Saudis would be better-able to ensure they did not kill civilians by using precision-guided bombs.

“It’s to protect civilians,” he said. “There’s absolutely no evidence that Saudi Arabia tried to kill civilians. None. ... So please, let’s be rational.”

Paul alleged that a Saudi bombing of a funeral procession last year that killed more than 100 civilians "was no mistake."

After that attack and with one month left in office, the Obama administration discontinued sales of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia due to concern about civilian deaths. The decision was reversed by the Trump administration in March.

In advocating a vote against the arms sale, Paul launched into a broader criticism of the country, calling its leaders "people who behead and crucify protesters" and saying there was "no greater purveyor of hatred for Christianity and Judaism."

“For every supposed good thing they do, they do five things that are bad for America,” Paul said. “I am embarrassed people are out here talking about money and making a buck while 17 million people live on a starvation diet.”