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The US State Department on Friday approved military sales worth more than $8.6 billion to key Middle Eastern allies — Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates — as regional tensions remain high.
The announcement comes nearly nine weeks into the US–Israel war against Iran, and more than three weeks after a fragile ceasefire came into effect. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, former US President Donald Trump said he is “not satisfied” with Iran's latest proposal.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that Tehran has sent a new proposal for talks with the United States through Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator. According to IRNA, the proposal was delivered Thursday evening, though details have not been made public.
Stay with us for the latest developments as they unfold.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said military action targeting Iran’s nuclear programme was necessary to prevent a wider catastrophe in the Gulf region and beyond, warning that the Middle East — and even parts of Europe — could have faced devastating consequences if Tehran had acquired a nuclear weapon.
Speaking at the Villages Charter School in Florida, Trump said the decision was driven by concerns over the security of Israel and regional stability. He underscored the high stakes involved in the confrontation with Iran, portraying the operation as a preventive move.
“Because we have to take a little journey down to a beautiful country known as Iran, and we have to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, framing the action as essential to stopping what he described as an existential threat.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved expedited arms transfers to Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, bypassing a standard congressional review to rush air defense missiles and laser guidance systems to the Middle East as the Iran war ceasefire seems ever more fragile.
The agreements amount to nearly $9 billion, according to the State Department.
The department authorized the sale to Israel of as many as 10,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II All Up Rounds, worth $992.4 million and manufactured by BAE Systems.
US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said Washington faces a clear either-or choice in dealing with Iran — pursuing diplomacy or escalating to direct military action — as tensions continue to mount across West Asia.
Responding to questions about a briefing by CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, Trump told reporters that the options were stark. “There are choices,” he said. “Do we go in and just blast the hell out of them and end it for good? Or do we try to make a deal. Those are the options.”
Trump added that his preference was to avoid further bloodshed. “From a human standpoint, I’d rather not,” he said. “But that’s the reality — do we go in heavy and wipe them out, or do we pursue another path?”
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