US approves $151.8M weapons sale to Israel, waiving congressional review

WASHINGTON

The Trump administration approved a possible $151.8 million weapons sale to Israel on Friday, invoking “emergency” authority to waive the congressional review requirements as Washington and Israel continue to attack Iran.

According to a statement from the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the proposed sale includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose, 1,000-pound bomb bodies, along with engineering, logistics, and technical support services.

“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 said, waiving the congressional review requirements under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act.

The principal contractor for the proposed sale will be Repkon USA, based in Garland, Texas, with part of the bomb bodies expected to be transferred from existing US stock, said the statement.

The approval comes amid escalating regional tensions following joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran launched Feb. 28, killing more than 1,000 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.

The conflict has triggered widespread regional instability and retaliatory attacks from Tehran against US-linked sites across the region. A drone strike in Kuwait killed six US service members at a tactical operations center.

The move also comes as criticism in Congress about US arms transfers to Israel has grown during Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. 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 a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, though the measure ultimately failed.