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US Approves $8 Billion Arms Sales to Middle East Partners
The US has approved over $8 billion in emergency arms sales to allies including Israel, Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait amid ongoing conflicts with Iran. Iran submitted a new peace proposal, while planning restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, China ordered companies to ignore US sanctions on refineries accused of trading Iranian oil.
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South China Morning PostAudio version
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The US State Department has approved more than $8 billion in arms sales to Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait that include air-defense systems and laser-guided rockets. The approvals used an emergency provision to bypass the normal congressional review period.
According to the Washington Times report, the sales follow previous emergency approvals for weapons to the region since the start of the war with Iran. The Pentagon has described US stockpiles as depleted by the ongoing conflict.
CNN reported that President Trump said he will review a new 14-point plan submitted by Iran. Iranian state media said the response calls for resolving issues within 30 days and focusing on terminating the war rather than extending a ceasefire. A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry stated, according to a Delta One post on X, “At this stage, we do not have nuclear negotiations.”
Iran’s parliament is set to approve a law that would ban Israeli ships from the Strait of Hormuz, require vessels from hostile countries to pay reparations for transit permits, and mandate Iranian authorization for all other ships. The measure follows Iran’s submission of the revised proposal after the US rejected a previous version.
The US plans to withdraw more than the initially announced 5,000 troops from Germany over the next year. The Pentagon described the move as resulting from a thorough review of force posture in Europe. German officials called the withdrawal foreseeable and said Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security. Germany hosts Ramstein Air Base, headquarters for US air forces in Europe.
China has ordered its companies not to comply with US sanctions imposed on five Chinese oil refineries accused of trading Iranian fuel. The South China Morning Post reported this is the first use of China’s blocking rules against what Beijing deems improper extraterritorial actions by the US.
