The Trump administration has invoked emergency authority to expedite the sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel worth approximately $650 million, bypassing congressional review, according to a Reuters report published on Saturday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined an emergency existed requiring immediate action, waiving standard legislative oversight. The package includes 1,000-pound and 500-pound general-purpose bomb bodies. Israel will also purchase an additional $298 million in munitions through direct commercial sales.
“The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States,” the U.S. State Department said, adding that the principal contractor will be Repkon USA, based in Texas.
News of the sale came a week after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint air campaign against the Iranian regime on Feb. 28—Washington’s largest military operation since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
The strikes have targeted the Iranian regime’s air defenses, command-and-control networks and its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
