Trump Administration Expedites Major Arms Sale to Israel

Latest Developments

Rubio Uses Emergency Waiver: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 1 that he had used emergency authorities provided in U.S. law to expedite the delivery of roughly $4 billion in military assistance to Israel. Rubio waived congressional review requirements under the Arms Export Control Act by providing justification that an emergency exists requiring the immediate sale of the defense articles to Israel. The emergency waiver follows the Trump administration’s decision in early February to formally notify Congress of a separate arms package totaling over $8 billion, bypassing an informal hold by the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Weapons Shipments Approved: The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had earlier announced three arms sales for Israel covered under the emergency waiver on February 28. The weapons packages included 35,000 MK 84 or BLU-117 bombs and 4,000 Penetrator warheads costing $2.04 billion as well as $675.5 million of other munitions and guidance kits and $295 million for Caterpillar armored bulldozers. In addition, DSCA made an adjustment to a previously notified case, raising the value of the case by $893 million to reflect an administrative price change for previously purchased air-to-ground munitions. This amendment to a previous case brought the total value of cases to $3.9 billion.
Long-Term Deal: The Pentagon said that the newly approved weapons packages wouldn’t arrive in Israel until 2026 but added that “there is a possibility that a portion of this procurement will come from U.S. stock,” possibly indicating a quicker delivery. Some of the weapons in the $675 million arms package, which includes 1,000-pound bombs and guidance kits, are not slated for delivery until 2028.

FDD Expert Response

“Israel continues to restock and replenish its munitions after militarily degrading Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen over the span of several months. The State Department’s latest approved weapons shipments will allow Israel to maintain its deterrence posture and keep Iran in check. At the same time, Israel can use these weapons to continue striking shipments aimed at resupplying Hezbollah, respond to direct attacks from the Houthis, and dismantle terror infrastructure in Gaza.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations, FDD Action

“The Trump administration continues to act lawfully and assertively to ensure Israel has the weapons that it needs to defend itself and counter our common adversaries. Given growing threats, and the time it will take for some of these deliveries, there is no time to waste. A strong and well-armed Israel serves American interests.” — Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power