USA

State Department approves over $8B in arms sales to Gulf nations

State Department approves over B in arms sales to Gulf nations

The State Department on Friday approved arms sales worth more than $8 billion to Persian Gulf states and Israel involved in the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran.

Among the approved purchases was the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS). United Arab Emirates to 147.6 million dollars, to israel $992.4 million and to Qatar For $992.4 million. The State Department also approved Qatar’s supply. Patriot missile capability $4.01 billion and Integrated Battle Command System to Kuwait For 2.5 billion dollars.

The APKWS includes rocket launchers, high-explosive warheads and proximity fuzes to the UAE and Qatar, among other items; Technical data, spares and repair parts, personnel training and education equipment, and U.S. government and contractor engineering, among other items, to Israel and Qatar.

Defense equipment to be sold to Kuwait includes communications equipment, generators, vehicles, training equipment including a reconfigurable air defense trainer, and field office support.

The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio “identified and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists requiring immediate sales to each country.” Each sale is “consistent with the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving Congressional review requirements….”

The department added that all of the proposed sales “contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to enhance the security of a strategic regional partner that has been and continues to be a significant force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”

The approval of the sales came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced $400 million in support for Ukraine. Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III said the aid “was not under contract but was released pending contract.”

Late last year, the Senate passed the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026. The bill provides Ukraine with $400 million in 2026 and another $400 million in 2027 through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative; The purpose of the fund was for American companies to pay for the production of high-priority weapons for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Trump administration approved more than $10 billion in arms sales to Taiwan late last year. China condemned the deal and the sale was postponed in February ahead of an expected bilateral meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.

Global military spending will rise for the 11th consecutive year in 2025, reaching a record high of almost $2.9 trillion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The US spent $954 billion on military purposes in 2025; this is a 7.5 percent decrease from 2024.

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