The US administration has approved arms sales to its allies in the Middle East worth $23 billion, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to the newspaper, this includes sales of military equipment to the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan.
Previously, the State Department announced approval for sales worth $16 billion, including air defense systems and bombs to the UAE, as well as air defense equipment intended for Kuwait.
In addition to this amount, the publication reports, citing sources, that the US administration has also approved arms sales worth approximately $7 billion to the UAE. This includes PAC-3 Patriot missiles worth approximately $5.6 billion, as well as CH-47 Chinook helicopters worth approximately $1.32 billion.
The media notes that the US government is not required to report publicly on this package, as it is in addition to already approved arms sales.
It is noted that the US administration uses emergency clauses in arms control laws to avoid congressional approval for certain large deliveries of military equipment to the UAE.
The US government used this clause to deliver approximately $4.5 billion worth of equipment for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.