Trump Skirts Congress for $8.6 Billion Middle East Arms Sale

The deal, announced late Friday, involves the sale of Patriot missile interceptors to Qatar for over $4 billion, alongside advanced aerial defense systems for Kuwait priced at approximately $2.5 billion. Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar are also slated to receive laser-guided rocket systems. The State Department maintains the emergency authorization is necessary for immediate defense requirements, though critics view the move as a blatant end-run around legislative checks.

Former IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei dismissed the move on social media, suggesting the policy prioritizes profit over diplomacy. Meanwhile, Kenneth Roth of Princeton University criticized the administration for fast-tracking the sale to the United Arab Emirates without securing guarantees regarding that nation's alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. The RSF remains under intense scrutiny for documented atrocities in the Sudanese civil war, turning the US-backed arms supply chain into a focal point of international condemnation.