US approves emergency sale of 12,000 bomb casings to Israel amid Iran war

The United States has approved the emergency sale of 12,000 bomb casings to Israel as the conflict involving Israel, Iran and allied groups across West Asia continues to escalate.

The US State Department cleared the sale on Friday, saying the transfer of the munitions was necessary to support Israel’s military operations and strengthen its deterrence against regional threats.

According to a statement from the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the deal involves the sale of 1,000-pound (about 450-kg) bomb casings valued at about 151.8 million dollars (around Rs 1,260 crore). The package will also include engineering, logistics and technical support services from the US government and private contractors.

“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defence, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” the bureau said.

Bomb casings form the metal shell of aerial bombs and are later fitted with explosive materials and guidance kits to produce operational munitions. The large number approved in the deal indicates preparations for sustained aerial operations.

The decision comes a week after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, dramatically widening the conflict in West Asia. The war has since spread across multiple fronts, including missile exchanges between Israel and Iran and clashes involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.

US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Friday that major American defence companies had agreed to quadruple production of advanced weapons to support the ongoing military campaign.

The emergency approval also reflects Washington’s determination to maintain Israel’s military advantage as the conflict intensifies. Israel has been carrying out extensive airstrikes targeting Iranian military facilities, nuclear infrastructure and allied militia groups.

Under normal circumstances, foreign military sales by the United States must be reviewed by Congress before they are finalised. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked emergency authority under the Arms Export Control Act to bypass the Congressional review process.

The State Department said the secretary had determined that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the defence articles and services to Israel in the interest of US national security.

The move has drawn criticism from some lawmakers in Washington, who say the administration is avoiding oversight at a time when the United States is already deeply involved in a rapidly expanding conflict.

Congressman Gregory Meeks, a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticised the decision to bypass Congress. “Bypassing Congressional review of this arms sale exposes a stark contradiction at the heart of this administration’s case for war,” Meeks said in a statement.

He added that the Trump administration had repeatedly claimed it was fully prepared for the conflict. “Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story,” Meeks said. “This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation.”

The arms transfer also underscores the depth of the US-Israel military partnership. The United States remains Israel’s largest supplier of defence equipment and has long committed to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge over potential adversaries in the region.

However, the latest decision is likely to intensify debate in Washington about the scale of US involvement in the war and the legal and strategic implications of the joint military campaign against Iran.

As fighting spreads across West Asia and oil prices surge amid fears of wider disruption, the approval of additional munitions signals that the United States expects the conflict to continue for some time.

With agency inputs