The United States Department of State has approved an emergency sale of 12,000 bomb casings to Israel as fighting between Israel and Iran intensifies across the Middle East.
According to a statement released Friday by the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the sale includes 1,000-pound (450-kilogram) bomb casings valued at approximately $151.8 million.
Officials said the weapons package is intended to strengthen Israel’s ability to confront current and future threats.
“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 bureau said in the statement.
The agreement also includes engineering, logistics and technical support services provided by the U.S. government and private contractors.
Emergency Approval
Under normal circumstances, U.S. arms exports must be reviewed and approved by Congress. However, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, invoked emergency authority under the Arms Export Control Act to bypass congressional approval.
The State Department said the waiver was necessary due to urgent national security considerations.
“The Secretary of State 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,” the department said.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said major American defense manufacturers have agreed to quadruple production of advanced weapons to support military operations and regional allies.
Trump made the announcement in a social media post on Friday, about a week after U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran.
The decision to bypass Congress has drawn criticism from some lawmakers.
.Gregory Meeks, a Democratic member of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the move raises questions about the administration’s handling of the conflict.
“Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story,” Meeks said in a statement.
“This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation,” he added.
The approval comes as the Middle East conflict continues to expand, raising concerns among international observers about the potential for a broader regional war.
