The Trump administration approved major new arms sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia late Friday, after notifying Congress earlier in the day, according to the U.S. Department of State. The approvals come amid rising concern in Washington about tensions with Iran and as President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his Gaza ceasefire plan, which he has described as intended to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and enable reconstruction after the war.
The State Department said the Saudi sale is for 730 Patriot missiles and related equipment. In announcing the deal, the department said the equipment “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region.” It added that the “enhanced capability” would protect Saudi land forces and U.S. and local partners and would improve Saudi Arabia’s contribution to the integrated air and missile defense system in the region.
The department announced the Saudi weapons package after Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met with Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The State Department also said the Israel sales are split into four separate packages, including one for Apache attack helicopters and another for light tactical vehicles.
The biggest part of the Israel package is a deal for 30 Apache attack helicopters and related equipment and weapons valued at $3.8 billion, the State Department said. A second-largest portion of the Israel sales is for 3,250 light tactical vehicles, the department said would cost $1.98 billion and would be used by Israel Defense Forces to move personnel and logistics “to extend lines of communication.”
The State Department said Israel will also spend an additional $740 million on power packs for armored personnel carriers Israel has had in service since 2008, and that the remaining $150 million will be used for a small but unreported number of light utility helicopters. The State Department further said the new sales would not affect the military balance in the region and that they would “enhance Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to defend Israel’s borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers.”
The approvals were made public as the ceasefire effort in Gaza “has largely held,” but the next phases remain challenging, including the deployment of an international security force to supervise the deal and the process of disarming Hamas, the Associated Press reported. In that context, the arms announcements add another thread to a regional policy picture that includes the administration’s efforts to manage both Israel-Hamas diplomacy and the risk of military strikes involving Iran.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the timing of the Israel deals, accusing the administration of rushing to announce them in a way that would “disregard Congressional oversight and years of standing practice.” In a statement, Meeks said the Trump administration had “blatantly ignored long-standing Congressional prerogatives while also refusing to engage Congress on critical questions about the next steps in Gaza and broader U.S.-Israel policy.”