US approves $8.6bn in arms sales to Middle East allies | War Stories

The US State Department declared an emergency to facilitate the sale without the approval of Congress.

The United States has approved $8.6bn in arms sales to Middle Eastern allies amid the US-Israel war against Iran.

The sale comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared an emergency to support the transfer without review by the US Congress.

Israel and the Gulf states have faced heavy Iranian missile strikes since the war began in late February, draining their U.S. air defenses and destroying their anti-aircraft defenses.

The transactions include the transfer of advanced military equipment (APKWS) and similar equipment to Israel for $992m, and the purchase of battle management systems by Kuwait for $2.5bn.

Qatar has been approved to buy APKWS and restore its Patriot air and missile defense systems at a cost of about $5bn, while the United Arab Emirates has been approved to buy APKWS for $148m.

In a series of announcements on Friday, the US State Department said it had given “a number of reasons” for the emergency that required the sale of the “national defense agreement of the United States”, ignoring the process of reviewing the provisions of the Arms Export Control Act.

Patriot systems are used to intercept incoming projectiles and are among the most advanced anti-aircraft systems in the US military.

APKWS is used to convert unguided rockets into guided missiles.

Kuwait’s military operations will improve the country’s radar detection, the State Department said.

The State Department in March agreed otherwise arms trade worth $16.5bn in the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan.

The operation included drones, missiles, radar systems and F-16 fighter jets for the UAE, as well as air defense systems and missiles in Kuwait.

Far from the Gulf, the heavy use of US military equipment in the Iran war has raised concerns about Washington’s ability to confront China over Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.

A report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies last month said that the US had enough reserves for a war with Iran, but it would need an adversary like China.

“Pre-war records were already inadequate; today’s levels will hamper US operations in the event of a future conflict,” the report said.