Washington moves to approve $2.8 billion arms deal for Israel

The United States is set to approve a new $2.8 billion arms deal with Israel, including 40,000 one-ton bombs, according to American media reports.

The Washington Post reported that the package, funded by American taxpayers, includes some of the most lethal munitions in the Western arsenal, comprising 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, and 20,000 I-2000 “Penetrator” bunker-busting warheads.

In the same context, The New York Times cited an American official as saying that President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the deal.

A senior U.S. administration official told the Associated Press that “all foreign arms sales proceed through established procedures,” but declined to comment on deals still in the finalization process.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State noted that the department neither confirms nor comments on proposed arms sales before they are formally notified to Congress.

The discussion of the deal comes amid the U.S. Department of Defense acknowledging a “shortage” in munitions linked to the war in Iran, and Washington spending $22.3 billion on ammunition between February 28 and June 30.

In February 2025, the Trump administration approved the sale of $7.4 billion worth of weapons to Israel, including bombs, missiles, and related equipment, among them MK-84 munitions.

The administration of former President Joe Biden had suspended a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs due to concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza, but the Trump administration approved their delivery to the Jewish state after taking office in early 2025.