Trump Admin Fast-Tracks $8 Billion Arms Sales to Gulf, Israel

The approved sales include Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) for the United Arab Emirates, worth USD 147.6 million, as well as separate USD 992.4 million APKWS packages for Israel and Qatar. The department also approved a USD 4.01 billion replenishment of Qatar's Patriot missile capabilities and a USD 2.5 billion Integrated Battle Command System sale to Kuwait.

According to the State Department, as reported by The Hill, the APKWS packages include rocket launchers, high-explosive warheads and proximity fuzes for the UAE and Qatar, along with technical data, spare parts, repair support, training equipment and engineering assistance for Israel and Qatar.

The Kuwait package includes communications systems, generators, vehicles and training equipment, including an air defence reconfigurable trainer and field office support.

The department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio "determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to" each country.

It added that each transaction "is in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements..."

The State Department, according to The Hill, further argued that the proposed sales "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."

According to CNN, this is not the first time the administration has used emergency authority to fast-track weapons sales since the conflict involving Iran escalated.

Earlier this year, the State Department bypassed Congress to immediately approve the sale of 12,000 bombs to Israel. Later, Rubio again invoked emergency powers to expedite multibillion-dollar weapons sales to the UAE and Kuwait, along with aircraft and munitions support for Jordan.

Meanwhile, in another power tussle with the Congress, US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) dismissed the 60-day limit imposed under the War Powers Resolution as "totally unconstitutional", signalling that his administration would not seek congressional authorisation to continue military operations linked to the conflict with Iran.

According to Politico, President Trump also sent a formal letter to Congress in this regard.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing for Florida, Trump rejected the legal framework established under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires a president to obtain congressional approval to continue hostilities beyond 60 days.

"They consider it totally unconstitutional," Trump said. "It's never been used before. Why should we be different?"

His statement came as US lawmakers and legal observers marked Friday (local time) as the 60-day deadline since the Trump administration formally notified Congress on March 2 about the start of hostilities involving Iran.

- ANI