The United States has approved an “emergency" sale of bomb casings worth $151.8 million to Israel, bypassing congressional review as the conflict with Iran intensifies in West Asia.
In a press release, the US State Department said that Israel had requested 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose bomb bodies weighing 1,000 pounds each. The approval was granted after Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency existed requiring the immediate sale in the “national security interests of the United States."
“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats," it said.
In addition to the bomb casings, the package includes US government and contractor engineering, logistics and technical support services. The principal contractor for the sale will be Repkon USA, based in Texas, with some of the munitions expected to be drawn from existing US military stock.
While US arms sales typically require approval by Congress, Rubio has issued a waiver bypassing the approval, to the consternation of some elected officials.
“The Secretary of State has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services is in the national security interests of the United States," the State Department said, citing the Arms Export Control Act.
The decision has drawn criticism from some lawmakers. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks said that bypassing congressional review of the arms sale “exposes a stark contradiction at the heart of this administration’s case for war."
“The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it was fully prepared for this war. Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story. This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation," Meeks said in a statement.
The deal came amid escalating West Asia tensions after United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory strikes by Tehran against Israeli targets and sites hosting US forces in the region.
The joint US-Israel strikes targeted key government and military establishments, including the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Iranian President. The targeted strikes also killed Khamenei and his family, including his daughter and granddaughter.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
