US approves emergency sale of heavy bombs to Israel
The US Department of State has approved the emergency sale of 1,000-pound bombs to Israel, bypassing congressional review.
The contract, worth an estimated $151.8 million, covers 12,000 BLU-110A/B bombs requested by West Jerusalem, the state department said Friday.
The announcement comes as the US-Israeli air war against Iran enters its eighth day, with both allies vowing to unleash new waves of strikes.
The department said the urgent nature of the matter allows it to forgo congressional review requirements under the Arms Export Control Act.
“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the department said.
“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 added.
Although the US and Israel had reportedly prepared for a weeks-long campaign, experts have raised concerns about whether they possess enough munitions to sustain a prolonged war. Tehran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for “unconditional surrender.”
More than 1,300 civilians have been killed in Iran, including 168 students at a girls’ school in Minab that was destroyed during the first wave of strikes.
