The United States on Thursday approved $16.46 billion in military sales to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, as Gulf states contend with the fallout from the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The move follows sustained missile and drone attacks by Iran in response to last month’s US-Israeli air strikes, which have caused casualties and damage across the region and forced Gulf countries to deploy significant defensive resources.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he has “determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the equipment, effectively bypassing the need for congressional approval.
The largest component of the package is an $8 billion deal with Kuwait for lower-tier air and missile defence sensor radars, designed to track high-speed threats and feed data into missile defence systems.
The UAE is set to receive a $4.5 billion long-range discrimination radar capable of tracking ballistic missiles, along with additional equipment. It has also been cleared to purchase counter-drone systems worth $2.1 billion, advanced air-to-air missiles valued at $1.22 billion, and F-16 munitions and upgrades worth $644 million.
