Trump Approves $23 Billion Emergency Arms Sales to Gulf Allies
The United States approved $23 billion in emergency weapons sales to the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan to counter escalating Iranian missile and drone attacks.
The administration of Donald Trump approved approximately $23 billion in emergency weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan to bolster regional security amid an intensifying conflict with Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked emergency powers under the Arms Export Control Act to bypass the standard 30-day congressional review period, citing an urgent need to counter Iranian missile and drone strikes.
The total package includes a $16.5 billion deal and a separate, non-public $7 billion expansion for the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is slated to receive Patriot PAC-3 missiles, CH-47 Chinook helicopters, Predator XP drones, and F-16 munitions. Kuwait will receive $8 billion in Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor radars, while Jordan is approved for $70.5 million in aircraft and munitions support.
These measures follow a February 28 U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran, which triggered Iranian retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, as well as the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel acted unilaterally in striking Iran's South Pars gas field. While President Trump denied plans to deploy ground forces, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is seeking an additional $200 billion from Congress to fund the conflict.
