The United States has approved two major weapons deals worth billions of dollars for Israel and Saudi Arabia at a time of heightened tension with Iran.
The State Department authorised a 3.8 billion dollar sale of 30 Apache attack helicopters to Israel, along with a 1.8 billion dollar package of joint light tactical vehicles. It said the deal would help Israel maintain a strong self defence capability and is consistent with long standing US commitments to its security.
Washington already supplies Israel with billions of dollars in military aid each year. The latest approvals come as Israel observes a fragile US backed ceasefire in Gaza after more than two years of war with Hamas.
The US has also approved a 9 billion dollar sale of 730 Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia. The system is designed to defend against incoming aerial attacks, including missiles and drones, in a region where fears of conflict with Iran remain high.
Last year, Israel launched a major bombing campaign on nuclear and military sites inside Iran. Tehran is under intense pressure at home and abroad after mass protests against the clerical regime, which has been accused of killing thousands of demonstrators.
Saudi Arabia, a regional rival of Iran, has urged caution over any attack on Tehran, warning that open conflict could destabilise Gulf states that present themselves as safe business hubs. The kingdom had been weighing historic normalisation with Israel, but that prospect now appears more distant amid concern over Israel’s campaigns in Palestinian territories.
The Trump administration says the Gaza ceasefire is now in its second phase, focused on disarming Hamas. Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, including some hostages who died in captivity, according to an AFP tally. Israel’s retaliatory operations in Gaza have since killed at least 71,667 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say.
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