The US munitions sale to Israel worth $151.8 million has been approved without a congressional review. The announcement was made by the US State Department on Friday.
Officials said the decision was taken under emergency authority due to urgent security concerns.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that the situation required an immediate approval of the sale.
Details of the weapons package
According to the State Department, Israel requested 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose bomb bodies, each weighing about 1,000 pounds.
The weapons package will also include related munitions support.
The main contractor for the deal is Repkon USA, a company based in Texas.
Emergency authority used for approval
The State Department said the decision was taken because the US munitions sale to Israel is considered important for national security.
Officials stated that emergency powers allow the government to bypass congressional review in urgent cases.
The announcement came about a week after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
Criticism from US lawmakers
However, some US lawmakers criticized the move.
Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks said using emergency authority showed poor preparation for the conflict with Iran.
He argued that the government had earlier claimed it was fully prepared for the situation.
Rising tensions in the region
The latest US munitions sale to Israel comes during increasing military tensions in the Middle East.
The United States and Israel carried out air strikes on Iran starting February 28. Iran later responded with attacks targeting Israel and areas where US bases are located.
According to Iran’s UN ambassador, the recent strikes have killed more than 1,300 civilians in Iran and injured thousands.
Impact on the wider conflict
Reports also said several senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed in the conflict.
The US military confirmed that six American service members died after a strike on a facility in Kuwait.
Meanwhile, Israel reported that at least 10 civilians have been killed inside the country during the attacks.
Ongoing US support for Israel
Washington has continued strong military support for Israel under both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden.
Over the past two years, the United States has approved several arms sales related to conflicts involving Israel in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Some human rights experts have criticized these military deals, especially during Israel’s war in Gaza that caused major humanitarian concerns.
