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Saturday, March 7, 2026
US bypasses congressional review to approve munitions sale to Israel
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US President Donald Trump’s administration has bypassed US Congress using an emergency authority to expedite the sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel worth around $650 million, two US officials familiar with the sale say.
In a late Friday statement, the US State Department said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency existed that required an immediate sale to Israel and waived the congressional review requirements for the sale.
The weapons package, which included 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose 1,000-pound bomb bodies that Israel had requested, comes a week after the United States and Israel began their joint air war against Iran, Washington’s biggest military operation since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States,” the Department said in its statement, adding that the principal contractor will be Repkon USA, located in Texas.
A State Department official provides additional details about the sale, saying it also included BLU-111 500-pound general purpose bombs which was an amendment to a previous sale. The official adds that Israel will purchase an extra $298 million worth of critical munitions via direct commercial sales.
The Times of Israel Community.