Washington approves emergency ammunition deal for Israel amid escalating military confrontation with Iran

The US State Department announced its official approval of a new military deal to sell ammunition and defensive equipment to Israel with a total value of $151.8 million. This step comes amid an atmosphere of escalating military tension in the region, especially with the continued direct confrontation between Tel Aviv and Tehran and the increasing operational needs of the Israeli army.

The deal includes providing the Israeli side with approximately 12,000 bomb bodies, each weighing 470 kilograms, according to an official request submitted by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department. The State Department affirmed that these shipments aim to enhance Israeli readiness to confront current and future regional threats, thereby ensuring the maintenance of its qualitative military superiority.

In addition to heavy ammunition, the agreement includes an integrated package of engineering, logistical, and technical assistance services that the US government will provide to ensure the efficient use of these weapons. These services aim to support Israel's defensive infrastructure and facilitate maintenance operations and the technical integration of the new ammunition into the existing aerial arsenal.

In a notable development, US President Donald Trump revealed via social media platforms an agreement with major defense industry companies in the United States to increase the production of advanced weapons. According to his statements, production will quadruple, one week after the first joint military strikes between Washington and Tel Aviv against targets inside Iran.

Procedurally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took an exceptional step by issuing a waiver allowing the deal to pass without undergoing the usual review procedures in the US Congress. Rubio based his decision on the Arms Export Control Act, providing detailed justifications for an emergency situation requiring the immediate transfer of defensive materials to protect US national security interests.

This legal circumvention sparked a wave of sharp criticism within the halls of Congress, with a number of lawmakers expressing concern about marginalizing the oversight role of the legislative branch. Opponents considered that the use of emergency powers at this time reflects the administration's desire to accelerate the pace of military escalation without sufficient political discussion about the consequences.

In this context, Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the administration's stance, describing it as contradictory. Meeks indicated that the Trump administration's quick recourse to emergency powers reveals flaws in its previous claims of full readiness for war, considering this crisis to be 'an emergency of the administration's own making.'

On the ground, informed sources reported a significant decline in the efficiency of early warning systems within Israel in recent hours. Sources observed a significant reduction in the time difference between the issuance of an alert and the activation of sirens, which in some areas reached only two minutes, placing immense pressure on civilians and air defense systems.

Press reports quoted Israeli military sources confirming that this reduction in response time is not due to a simple technical malfunction, but rather a deeper 'operational malfunction.' Experts suggest that this malfunction may be related to some advanced monitoring mechanisms and radars being subjected to direct targeting or complex jamming operations that affected the accuracy of incoming data.

This coincided with US media reports revealing that THAAD missile interception systems were subjected to attacks in multiple locations in the Middle East, including Jordan and the UAE. These systems are a fundamental pillar of the collective defense strategy led by Washington to protect its allies from cross-border ballistic threats.

In additional details, reports stated that the United States is racing against time to replace a THAAD radar in Jordan after it sustained severe damage. The attack is believed to have been carried out by a suicide drone launched by groups loyal to Iran, leading to a temporary disruption of monitoring capabilities in that vital sector.

Israel's air defense network relies heavily on integration with US and foreign radars deployed in the region to detect ballistic missiles immediately upon launch. Damage to any part of this network, such as THAAD radars designed for interception outside the atmosphere, poses a direct threat to Israel's ability to repel large-scale missile attacks.

The proposed sale would enhance Israel's ability to confront current and future threats, and support its defensive capabilities and regional deterrence.