Washington (Monitoring Desk) The United States has approved the sale of weapons worth more than $8.6 billion to allied countries in the Middle East without formal Congressional approval.
According to the US State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the decision to emergency circumstances and deferred the usual congressional review process.
A Reuters report stated that under this agreement, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait will receive advanced defense and military equipment.
Details show that Qatar will receive a $4.01 billion missile defense system and $992.4 million worth of advanced weapons, while Kuwait will be provided with a $2.5 billion command and control system. Similarly, Israel will receive $992.4 million in weapons, and the United Arab Emirates will be supplied with $147.6 million worth of arms.
The report added that the development comes at a time when regional tensions remain high following strained relations between the US and Israel with Iran, despite a fragile ceasefire established a few weeks earlier. US officials said Washington remains committed to strengthening the defense capabilities of its allies.
