The Trump administration bypassed Congress to approve $16.5 billion in arms sales to three Middle Eastern countries.

On the 19th, the U.S. State Department announced that it had approved a military sales plan worth approximately $16.5 billion for the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan, which will supply these three Middle Eastern countries with military equipment such as radar and anti-drone systems. In multiple statements, the State Department said these arms sales involve “emergency situations,” and therefore circumvent the requirements for congressional review. A report by CNN noted that as the Trump administration bypassed Congress and accelerated the sale of arms to these Gulf allies, they were “bearing the brunt of retaliation by Iran for military actions against the U.S. and Israel.” The State Department said the U.S. will sell the UAE 10 sets of “fixed-position low-altitude, slow, small drone integrated defense systems” and related equipment, worth about $2.1 billion; remote detection radars and related equipment for a terminal high-altitude area defense system (“THAAD”), worth about $4.5 billion; 400 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and related equipment, worth $1.22 billion; and ammunition used by F-16 fighter jets, among other items, worth $644 million. At the same time, the U.S. will sell Kuwait low-layer air defense and missile defense radar systems worth about $8 billion; and arms worth about $70.5 million to Jordan, including aircraft maintenance and ammunition support. During the recent interception of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, U.S. military forces and air defense system components and munitions of allies in the Middle East were heavily consumed, and some radars and other equipment were hit. On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel and on U.S. military bases in the Middle East and other targets, and some countries in the region were affected. On the 18th, Israel carried out an airstrike on an Iranian natural gas field; in response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as U.S.-related oil facilities, prompting concerns about escalation of the conflict.(Xinhua News Agency)