US approves military sales of nearly $11 billion to Middle East allies
The US State Department has approved military sales totaling over $8.6 billion to Middle Eastern allies, including Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE. The approvals coincide with the ninth week of the US and Israel's conflict with Iran, following a fragile ceasefire. The sales include missile defense systems, precision weapons, and battle command systems supplied by major defense contractors.
- ▪The US approved over $8.6 billion in military sales to Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE.
- ▪Sales include Patriot missile defense replenishment for Qatar, precision weapons for Israel and Qatar, and a battle command system for Kuwait.
- ▪Major defense contractors involved include BAE Systems, RTX, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.
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US approves military sales of nearly $11 billion to Middle East alliesSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe announcements came as the US and Israel’s war against Iran marked nine weeks since its start.PHOTO: REUTERSPublished May 02, 2026, 06:58 AMUpdated May 02, 2026, 07:21 AMListenWASHINGTON – The US State Department said on May 1 that it was approving military sales totalling more than US$8.6 billion (S$10.95 billion) to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).The announcements came as the US and Israel’s war against Iran marked nine weeks since its start and more than three weeks since a fragile ceasefire came into effect.The announcements on May 1 by the State Department included approving military sales to Qatar of Patriot…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.