US approves $151.8M emergency weapons sale to Israel amid Iran war

The Trump administration approved a $151.8 million weapons sale to Israel on Friday, invoking emergency authority to bypass standard congressional review as Washington and Tel Aviv press their military campaign against Iran. The State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs announced the proposed sale includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose 1,000-pound bomb bodies, along with engineering, logistics and technical support services.

Emergency Justification

"The Secretary of State has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel," the agency stated, waiving congressional review requirements under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act. The emergency designation allows the administration to expedite the transfer without the usual 30-day congressional notification period.

Conflict Context

The approval comes as the joint US-Israeli offensive launched February 28 has killed more than 1,000 people, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials. The conflict has triggered widespread regional instability and Iranian retaliatory strikes against US-linked sites across the region, including a drone attack in Kuwait that killed six American service members at a tactical operations center.

Congressional Criticism

The move also comes amid growing congressional criticism of US arms transfers to Israel following its genocidal war on Gaza. In July, a record 27 Democratic senators voted in favor of a resolution to block certain weapons sales to Israel, citing concerns about civilian casualties and humanitarian crisis, though the measure ultimately failed. The emergency waiver effectively sidesteps potential legislative delays as the conflict expands.