The United States has approved a substantial $8.6 billion in arms sales to its allies in the Middle East, a move that comes amidst what is described as the US-Israel war on Iran. These significant transfers were fast-tracked by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who cited emergency circumstances to bypass the usual prior review by the US Congress.
The urgency for these sales stems from the ongoing barrage of missile and drone attacks faced by Israel and the Gulf states from Iran since late February. These assaults have reportedly depleted their existing stockpiles of US-made weapons and placed considerable strain on their air defense systems.
Among the approved sales, Israel is set to receive an advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) and associated equipment, valued at $992 million. Kuwait will acquire battle command systems for $2.5 billion, enhancing its air defense detection capabilities with advanced radar. Qatar has been cleared to purchase an APKWS and replenish its Patriot air and missile defense systems, a deal worth nearly $5 billion. Additionally, the United Arab Emirates will acquire an APKWS for $148 million.
The US State Department, in a series of announcements on Friday, stated it had provided “detailed justification” for the emergency nature of these sales, asserting they are “in the national security interests of the United States.” This justification allowed the administration to bypass the congressional review process, as outlined in the Arms Export Control Act. Patriot systems are renowned for their ability to intercept incoming projectiles and are considered among the most advanced defense equipment in the US military arsenal, while the APKWS is designed to convert unguided rockets into precision-guided munitions.
These recent approvals follow previous substantial arms sales in March, where the State Department sanctioned $16.5 billion in deals to the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan. Those agreements included drones, missiles, radar systems, and F-16 aircraft for the UAE, alongside air and missile defense radar systems for Kuwait.
Beyond the immediate regional context, the extensive use of US munitions in the ongoing conflict described as the war on Iran has sparked broader concerns regarding Washington’s capacity to engage China in a potential conflict over Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its territory. A report published last month by the Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded that while the US possessed sufficient stockpiles for the conflict with Iran, it would require significantly more for an adversary like China. The report warned, “Prewar inventories were already insufficient; the levels today will constrain US operations should a future conflict arise.”
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