The United States has authorized an emergency weapons deal to support Israel as the conflict with Iran continues to intensify. The US State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said it had approved a possible Foreign Military Sale that will allow Israel to purchase munitions and related support services.
According to the official statement, Israel requested twelve thousand 1,000-pound BLU-110A/B general-purpose bomb bodies. The deal also includes engineering assistance, logistics support, technical services, and other programme support provided by US government agencies and contractors.
Officials said the total estimated cost of the package is $151.8m. The emergency approval allows the sale to move forward immediately without the usual lengthy congressional review.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the urgent decision by saying “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defence articles and defence services.” He said the decision serves the national security interests of the United States.
The approval temporarily bypasses the normal congressional oversight process under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act. Recent figures from the US State Department show the scale of Washington’s global arms trade. In the fiscal year 2024 report on US arms transfers and defence trade, the total value of Foreign Military Sales reached $117.9 billion.
Of this amount, about $96.9 billion was funded by US allies, $11.8 billion came through the Foreign Military Financing programme supported by American taxpayers, and another $9.2 billion was provided through other Department of Defence programmes.
In 2024, the United States also approved a major arms package for Israel worth $18.8 billion. The deal included advanced F-15IA and F-15I+ fighter jets, along with thousands of precision-guided bombs and other weapons.
Altogether, arms deals approved for Israel have exceeded $20 billion in equipment that has been authorized but not yet fully delivered. Analysts say these agreements are meant to strengthen Israel’s long-term military capabilities. The military support comes at a time when the conflict between Israel, Iran, and US forces continues to spread across the Middle East.
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The current war began two weeks ago when Israel launched strikes inside Iran. Tehran responded by attacking US military bases located in several Gulf countries. Israel has since expanded its military campaign into Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions. The group launched retaliatory attacks this week after the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
The strikes in Lebanon have caused massive destruction and displacement. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, nearly 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the past four days.
Inside Israel, residents reported hearing explosions as air defence systems intercepted incoming Iranian missiles and drones. Meanwhile, Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, have reported new drone and missile attacks during the growing conflict.
Israeli military officials claim that their forces have already destroyed about 80% of Iran’s air defence systems during the first week of the campaign. They also say more than 60% of Iran’s missile launchers have been disabled. The situation continues to evolve rapidly, raising concerns that the war could expand into a broader regional confrontation.
