Kamal Ghorui
The US State Department has bypassed congressional oversight to fast-track over $8 billion in arms sales to Israel and key Gulf allies, citing an urgent regional emergency.Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked emergency powers to approve the sales, which include precision weaponry and missile defence systems for countries in the Middle East.The move comes amid a broader confrontation over executive authority, as US President Donald Trump dismissed the 60-day limit under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 as “totally unconstitutional,” indicating that his administration would not seek congressional approval to continue military operations linked to the conflict with Iran.The developments together signal a shift in how the administration is handling military engagement and foreign defence partnerships.The approved deals include Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) for the United Arab Emirates worth $147.6 million, along with separate $992.4 million APKWS packages for Israel and Qatar. The department also cleared a $4.01 billion replenishment of Qatar’s Patriot missile capabilities and a $2.5 billion Integrated Battle Command System sale to Kuwait.According to the State Department, the APKWS packages include rocket launchers, high-explosive warheads and proximity fuzes for the UAE and Qatar. They also include technical data, spare parts, repair support, training equipment and engineering assistance for Israel and Qatar.The Kuwait package consists of communications systems, generators, vehicles and training equipment, including an air defence reconfigurable trainer and field office support.The department said Rubio “determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to” each country. It added that each transaction “is in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements…”The State Department further stated that the proposed sales “contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”According to CNN, this is not the first time the administration has used emergency authority to fast-track weapons sales since tensions involving Iran escalated. Earlier this year, the State Department bypassed Congress to immediately approve the sale of 12,000 bombs to Israel. Later, Rubio again invoked emergency powers to expedite multibillion-dollar weapons sales to the UAE and Kuwait, along with aircraft and munitions support for Jordan.According to Politico, Trump also sent a formal letter to Congress regarding the War Powers issue. Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing for Florida, he said, “They consider it totally unconstitutional. It’s never been used before. Why should we be different?”His remarks came as US lawmakers and legal observers marked Friday as the 60-day deadline since the administration formally notified Congress on March 2 about the start of hostilities involving Iran.
