US signs off on $8.6-billion arms package for Middle East allies

The United States has approved $8.6 billion in arms sales to Middle East allies amid the US-Israel war on Iran, Al Jazeera reports.

The approvals followed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to invoke emergency powers, allowing the transfers to be expedited without the standard prior congressional review.

Since the escalation of the conflict in late February, Israel and several Gulf states have come under sustained missile and drone attacks from Iran, depleting US-supplied weapons stockpiles and placing pressure on their air defence systems.

The deal includes the provision of an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) and related equipment to Israel, valued at $992 million, as well as Kuwait’s acquisition of battle command systems worth $2.5 billion.

Qatar has been authorized to purchase APKWS systems and replenish its Patriot air and missile defence stockpiles in a deal valued at nearly $5 billion, while the United Arab Emirates has received approval to acquire APKWS equipment worth $148 million.

By Jeyhun Aghazada