U.S. Approves Emergency Arms Sale to Israel Worth 151.8M

(MENAFN) The U.S. State Department announced Friday the approval of an emergency foreign military sale to Israel valued at approximately $151.8 million, encompassing 12,000 aerial munitions and a broad suite of technical support services.

At the core of the package are 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose, 1,000-pound bomb bodies, alongside U.S. government and contractor-provided engineering, logistics, and technical assistance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio bypassed standard Congressional oversight to authorize the deal, citing urgent national security grounds. In its official statement, the State Department said: "The Secretary of State (Marco Rubio) has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services is in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act."

The department further defended the strategic rationale behind the transfer, stating the sale would serve a dual purpose — bolstering Israel's defensive posture and projecting deterrence across an increasingly volatile region:

"The proposed sale will improve Israel's capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats."

The authorization comes amid sharply escalating hostilities in the Middle East. On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel conducted large-scale strikes against Iran, resulting in the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, numerous senior military commanders, and hundreds of civilians. Tehran has since retaliated with successive waves of missile and drone strikes directed at Israeli territory and U.S. assets throughout the region.

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