US Approves $8.6 Billion Arms Sale to Middle East: What It Means for Israel, Qatar, and UAE

Lee Ji-yoon | 2026.05.04

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U.S. military Patriot PAC-3 missile launcher[UPI=Yonhap News file photo][UPI=Yonhap News file photo]

The Trump administration approved arms sales totaling 13 trillion KRW (approximately 9.75 billion USD) to allies in the Middle East. On May 2 (local time), The New York Times reported that the State Department said in a statement it would export weapons to Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait. Qatar agreed to purchase more than 5.9 trillion KRW (approximately 4.425 billion USD) in U.S.-made Patriot PAC-3 missile-defense systems. Kuwait is set to acquire an advanced air‑defense system valued at roughly 3.7 trillion KRW (approximately 2.775 billion USD). Israel and the UAE are slated to receive precision strike weapons that fire laser‑guided rockets. The approvals come after reports that Israel and other regional countries expended large stockpiles of weapons in the war with Iran. Production of key systems — including interceptor defenses — can take years, so exact deployment timelines remain uncertain. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked the Arms Export Control Act’s emergency provision to approve the deals, bypassing the usual congressional review process. The State Department said the sales are consistent with U.S. national security interests. But Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the move, saying it ignored the law and circumvented Congress on a major security decision. #U.S. #MiddleEast #ArmsSales #Iran #War Yonhap News TV tips and inquiries: KakaoTalk/Line jebo23, Lee Ji-yoon (easyun@yna.co.kr)