US approves $3 billion arms deal with Israel

The Trump administration has approved a major arms sale to Israel worth nearly $3 billion, bypassing the usual Congressional review process.

The US State Department notified Congress on Friday that it had authorised the sale of more than 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs, as well as 4,000 Predator warheads, valued at $2.04 billion.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the decision, citing an emergency national security situation that required immediate action. The justification allowed the sale to proceed without Congressional oversight. Deliveries for these munitions are scheduled to begin next year.

In addition to the large bomb sale, the department also approved a separate arms deal worth $675.7 million, which includes further munitions for Israel, with deliveries set to start in 2028. Furthermore, the US State Department authorised the emergency sale of D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers worth $295 million to Israel.

Last month, Biden administration also formally notified Congress of an $8 billion proposed arms sale to Israel, which includes munitions for fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery shells.

The deal, aimed at supporting Israel’s long-term security, will be one of the last significant arms sales to the country under Biden’s presidency, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The proposed arms package includes AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles designed to defend Israel against airborne threats, including drones, and 155mm artillery shells.

Additionally, the deal covers Hellfire AGM-114 missiles for attack helicopters, small diameter bombs, JDAM tail kits for precision munitions, 500-lb warheads, and bomb fuzes.

The sale will likely take several years to fully deliver, with some munitions available from existing US stocks, while others will require new production. Congress will have to approve the sale through both the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees.

The arms sale comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters claiming that President Biden had imposed a "silent arms embargo" on Israel.