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06-05-2026
WASHINGTON: The United States has approved $8.6bn in arms sales to Middle Eastern allies amid the US-Israel war on Iran.
The sales come after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited emergency circumstances to fast-track the transfers without prior review by the US Congress.
Israel and the Gulf states have faced a barrage of missile and drone attacks from Iran since the start of the war in late February, draining their stockpiles of US weapons and straining their air defence systems.
The sales include the transfer of an advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) and related equipment to Israel for $992m, and the purchase of battle command systems by Kuwait for $2.5bn.
Qatar has been approved to buy an APKWS and restock its Patriot air and missile defence systems at a cost of nearly $5bn, while the United Arab Emirates has been cleared to buy an APKWS for $148m.
In a series of announcements on Friday, the US State Department said it had provided “detailed justification” of an emergency requiring the sales “in the national security interests of the United States”, bypassing the congressional review process outlined in the Arms Export Control Act.
Patriot systems are used to intercept incoming projectiles and rank among the most advanced defence equipment in the US military arsenal.
The APKWS is used to convert unguided rockets into precision-guided munitions.
The battle command systems for Kuwait will improve the country’s air defence detection with radar, the State Department said.
The State Department in March approved separate arms sales worth $16.5bn to the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan. The deals included drones, missiles, radar systems and F-16 aircraft for the UAE, and air and missile defence radar systems for Kuwait.
Away from the Gulf, the heavy use of US munitions in the war on Iran has raised concerns about Washington’s ability to fight China in the case of a war over Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its territory.
A report published by Center for Strategic and International Studies last month concluded that the US had enough stockpiles for the war on Iran, but would need more for an adversary such as China.
“Prewar inventories were already insufficient; the levels today will constrain US operations should a future conflict arise,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the United States Department of State has approved a $16.5bn deal for arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan as tensions with Iran continue to intensify. The State Department explained that $8.4bn worth of arms would go to the United Arab Emirates to pay for drones, missiles, radar systems and F-16 aircraft. As part of the deal, Washington also approved roughly $8bn for air and missile defence radar systems to Kuwait and an additional $70.5m to Jordan, which would cover aircraft and munition support.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major defense partner,” the State Department said in a statement.
“The UAE is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”
The statement added that the proposed deal did not require congressional approval, given that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of arms.
The sale comes amid ever-increasing tensions between the US and Iran. The administration of US President Donald Trump joined Israel in attacking Iran on February 28, and the resulting war has prompted fears of a protracted regional conflict. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
