The US State Department approved a $5 billion Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia on Friday, clearing more than 10,000 precision-guidance kits and general-purpose bombs for the kingdom as it continues to face missile and drone attacks linked to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war. According to the latest reports, the package includes over 5,000 KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM-ER) kits and a similar number of KMU-556 JDAM guidance kits, along with related logistics support. Boeing has been named the primary contractor for the deal, with the JDAMs offering extended range capabilities beyond 45 miles for precision strikes. The proposed JDAM-ER package includes just over 10,000 guidance kits and associated equipment, along with a similar number of unguided bombs, split approximately evenly between 500-pound and 2,000-pound munitions. The JDAM kits convert conventional bombs into precision-guided weapons by adding guidance and control components, allowing aircraft to release weapons from farther away from their targets.
The State Department stated that the sale would improve Saudi Arabia's airborne defense capability to counter current and future regional threats, strengthen its homeland defense and improve interoperability with US forces and other Gulf partners. As reported by AFP, Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly targeted with drone and missile strikes by Iranian forces and Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi rebels since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran earlier this year, a conflict that has now stretched on for roughly six months and repeatedly disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The department also said the deal would support US foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of Saudi Arabia, a US-designated Major Non-NATO Ally. The proposed weapons deal comes as Saudi Arabia has faced drone and missile attacks amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, with Iranian forces and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeting Riyadh during the conflict.
The State Department also approved a separate $750 million sale to Saudi Arabia for 60 Honeywell-made AGT-1500 tank engines to support its M1 Abrams fleet. According to the latest State Department announcement, the engines are used to power M1 Abrams tanks, with Honeywell serving as the prime contractor. Washington also cleared a $188 million sale to Oman for F-16 sustainment services, though the State Department notice indicates "no principal contractor" is associated with the potential sale, with support to be provided by U.S. Government or contracted vendors based on requirements. Additionally, the State Department authorized the possible sale of Bell 412EPX helicopters to Iraq for an estimated $150 million, with Bell-Textron as the primary contractor.
The combined approvals total approximately $5.75 billion worth of military equipment for Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq, spanning precision munitions to fighter jet sustainment. Together, the two proposed defence deals are valued at $5.75 billion, with the State Department's announcement representing approval to proceed with a potential Foreign Military Sale and does not mean the transaction has been finalised. The proposed sale has been notified to Congress, which has a 30-day period to review the transaction. Quantities and the final value can also change during negotiations, with lawmakers having a 30-day review window to block each deal. Saudi Arabia remains one of the largest buyers of US weapons systems, and Friday's approvals add to a series of American arms transfers to Gulf states since the Iran conflict escalated earlier this year.
Vice President JD Vance revealed that the Trump administration is doing "a lot of things" to pressure Iran to stop firing at ships in the Middle East, stating that "there are a lot of additional tools that we have at our disposal, some of those the president will use and some of them he won't." Vance emphasized that "everything that could happen is on the table" including economic pressure, military pressure, diplomatic pressure, and covert pressure. He noted that "for the leadership of President Trump and the hard work of our troops, we would have had an energy crisis because the Iranians refused to stop acting like terrorists in the Strait of Hormuz." The average price of diesel hit $5.85 a gallon in the US on Friday, a new record, with President Trump describing the US campaign against Iran as a "military conflict" rather than a war. Trump also suggested that new pipelines and overland routes across the Middle East could reduce the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Iran's leverage over the waterway could diminish over time.
