The United States has approved a $151 million arms sale to Israel, supplying thousands of bomb bodies to support the country’s military operations as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
The U.S. State Department said the deal, valued at about $151.8 million, includes the supply of 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose 1,000-pound bomb bodies requested by Israel.
The principal contractor for the weapons package is Repkon USA, a Texas-based defence company.
According to the State Department, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the transaction using emergency authority, allowing the sale to proceed without the usual congressional review.
The department said the decision was taken because the transfer was considered vital to U.S. national security interests.
The approval comes amid escalating conflict in the region, particularly following joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February and triggered retaliatory attacks across parts of the Middle East.
However, the move has drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks argued that bypassing Congress suggested poor preparation for the ongoing conflict and questioned the urgency behind invoking emergency powers.
Washington has long been Israel’s key military ally and continues to provide significant defence support to the country, especially as regional tensions intensify.
