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    <title>Aaj TV English News - World</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright 2026</copyright>
    <pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2026 13:01:10 +0500</pubDate>
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    <ttl>60</ttl>
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      <title>US fast-tracks $8.6bn arms sales to Middle East allies</title>
      <link>https://english.aaj.tv/news/330457933/us-fast-tracks-86bn-arms-sales-to-middle-east-allies</link>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;US President &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/"&gt;Donald Trump’s&lt;/a&gt; administration has bypassed congressional review to approve military ‌sales totalling over $8.6 billion to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The State Department announcements on Friday came as the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/iran/"&gt;US and Israel’s war against Iran&lt;/a&gt; marked nine weeks since its start and more than three weeks ​since a fragile ceasefire came into effect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The State Department said US Secretary of State Marco ​Rubio determined that an emergency existed that required immediate sales to those countries and ⁠waived the congressional review requirements for the sales.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The announcements included approving military sales to Qatar of ​Patriot air and missile defence replenishment services costing $4.01 billion and of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) costing $992.4 ​million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;They also included approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5 billion and to Israel of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems costing $992.4 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The State Department approved a sale to the UAE of ​APKWS for $147.6 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Iran responded with its own strikes ​on Israel and the Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-many-people-have-been-killed-us-israel-war-iran-2026-04-07/"&gt;killed ‌thousands&lt;/a&gt; ⁠and &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/up-32-million-people-displaced-inside-iran-by-conflict-un-says-2026-03-12/"&gt;displaced millions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The principal contractor in the APKWS sales to Qatar, Israel and the UAE was BAE Systems, the State Department said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;RTX and Lockheed Martin were the principal contractors in the integrated battle command system sale to Kuwait and in the Patriot air and missile defence replenishment sale to Qatar, the State ​Department added.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Northrop Grumman was ​also a principal contractor ⁠in the Kuwaiti sale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the years, Washington has faced scrutiny for military ties with Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar over those countries’ human rights track records ​that rights advocates say involve restrictions on and reported abuses of &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/economy/investors-raise-concerns-about-migrant-workers-rights-in-gulf-idUSKCN2510A4/"&gt;minorities&lt;/a&gt;, journalists, &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-kuwaiti-journalist-leaves-kuwait-after-release-detention-us-official-says-2026-04-25/"&gt;voices ​of dissent&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gay-people-living-under-radar-qatar-prepare-warily-world-cup-2022-11-19/"&gt;LGBT ⁠community&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/workers-rights-campaigners-voice-concerns-over-uae-ban-of-us-academic-idUSKBN0MF2AZ/"&gt;labourers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Those nations have denied supporting or engaging in domestic rights abuses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;US support for Israel has also &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-has-shown-unprecedented-disregard-human-rights-gaza-un-human-rights-chief-2025-02-26/"&gt;come under scrutiny&lt;/a&gt; from rights experts, particularly over &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/israel-hamas/"&gt;Israel’s assault on Gaza&lt;/a&gt; that has killed &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-deaths-wars-first-15-months-higher-than-reported-study-says-2026-02-19/"&gt;tens of thousands&lt;/a&gt;, caused ⁠a hunger ​crisis and led to assessments of genocide from &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-is-committing-genocide-gaza-scholars-association-says-2025-09-01/"&gt;scholars&lt;/a&gt; and a &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-approves-military-sales-over-86-billion-middle-east-allies-2026-05-01/nMT1ALTL5N3V20PU3"&gt;UN ​inquiry&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Washington has maintained support for its ​allies.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p><strong>US President <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/">Donald Trump’s</a> administration has bypassed congressional review to approve military ‌sales totalling over $8.6 billion to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.</strong></p>
<p>The State Department announcements on Friday came as the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/iran/">US and Israel’s war against Iran</a> marked nine weeks since its start and more than three weeks ​since a fragile ceasefire came into effect.</p>
<p>The State Department said US Secretary of State Marco ​Rubio determined that an emergency existed that required immediate sales to those countries and ⁠waived the congressional review requirements for the sales.</p>
<p>The announcements included approving military sales to Qatar of ​Patriot air and missile defence replenishment services costing $4.01 billion and of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) costing $992.4 ​million.</p>
<p>They also included approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5 billion and to Israel of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems costing $992.4 million.</p>
<p>The State Department approved a sale to the UAE of ​APKWS for $147.6 million.</p>
<p>The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.</p>
<p>Iran responded with its own strikes ​on Israel and the Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-many-people-have-been-killed-us-israel-war-iran-2026-04-07/">killed ‌thousands</a> ⁠and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/up-32-million-people-displaced-inside-iran-by-conflict-un-says-2026-03-12/">displaced millions</a>.</p>
<p>The principal contractor in the APKWS sales to Qatar, Israel and the UAE was BAE Systems, the State Department said.</p>
<p>RTX and Lockheed Martin were the principal contractors in the integrated battle command system sale to Kuwait and in the Patriot air and missile defence replenishment sale to Qatar, the State ​Department added.</p>
<p>Northrop Grumman was ​also a principal contractor ⁠in the Kuwaiti sale.</p>
<p>Over the years, Washington has faced scrutiny for military ties with Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar over those countries’ human rights track records ​that rights advocates say involve restrictions on and reported abuses of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/economy/investors-raise-concerns-about-migrant-workers-rights-in-gulf-idUSKCN2510A4/">minorities</a>, journalists, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-kuwaiti-journalist-leaves-kuwait-after-release-detention-us-official-says-2026-04-25/">voices ​of dissent</a>, the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gay-people-living-under-radar-qatar-prepare-warily-world-cup-2022-11-19/">LGBT ⁠community</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/workers-rights-campaigners-voice-concerns-over-uae-ban-of-us-academic-idUSKBN0MF2AZ/">labourers</a>.</p>
<p>Those nations have denied supporting or engaging in domestic rights abuses.</p>
<p>US support for Israel has also <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-has-shown-unprecedented-disregard-human-rights-gaza-un-human-rights-chief-2025-02-26/">come under scrutiny</a> from rights experts, particularly over <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/israel-hamas/">Israel’s assault on Gaza</a> that has killed <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-deaths-wars-first-15-months-higher-than-reported-study-says-2026-02-19/">tens of thousands</a>, caused ⁠a hunger ​crisis and led to assessments of genocide from <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-is-committing-genocide-gaza-scholars-association-says-2025-09-01/">scholars</a> and a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-approves-military-sales-over-86-billion-middle-east-allies-2026-05-01/nMT1ALTL5N3V20PU3">UN ​inquiry</a>.</p>
<p>Washington has maintained support for its ​allies.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
      <category>World</category>
      <guid>https://english.aaj.tv/news/330457933</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2026 11:37:03 +0500</pubDate>
      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
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