The United States has announced an urgent sale of arms worth $16.5 billion to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan amidst the ongoing war with Iran and following Tehran's attacks on targets in these nations. The State Department reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that 'there is an emergency that requires the immediate sale' of this material, which includes munitions, counter-drone technology, medium-range missiles, and air and missile defense systems. Typically, arms sales approved by the State Department are sent to Congress for review, and the sales process itself can take years. For the UAE, Washington has approved the sale of 10 FS-LIDS drone interception systems, 240 portable drone interceptors, and a long-range radar from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to intercept missiles. The package also includes munitions and upgrades for F-16 fighters valued at approximately $644 million, as well as around 400 advanced air-to-air missiles. Kuwait will receive Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors (LTAMDS) radars at a cost of $8 billion. Jordan will be urgently provided with maintenance, logistics, and munitions support for its F-16 and F-5 fighters, as well as C-130 military transport aircraft, valued at $70.5 million. According to media reports, two THAAD batteries and radars were partially destroyed by Iran in the early days of the war.
