The United States is moving to approve a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel, including 40,000 one-ton bombs, even as the US military faces mounting pressure on its munitions stocks following its war with Iran.
US media reports said the proposed package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads, placing some of the most powerful conventional munitions in the American arsenal at the centre of the proposed transfer.
The Washington Post reported that the package would be funded with US taxpayer money, while The New York Times, citing a US official, said the administration of President Donald Trump had approved the sale.
However, a senior US administration official told AFP that foreign arms sales were being processed through the appropriate channels but declined to comment specifically on pending transactions.
A State Department spokesperson also told AFP that the department does not confirm or comment on proposed arms sales until they are formally notified to Congress.
The reported deal comes at a sensitive time for the US military, which has acknowledged a shortage of some munitions following its military operations against Iran. The United States reportedly spent $22.3 billion on munitions between February 28 and June 30, further highlighting the strain on American weapons stocks.
The proposed Israeli package also renews attention on Washington’s policy towards the supply of heavy bombs to Israel. In 2024, the administration of former President Joe Biden withheld a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel amid concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza. The Trump administration subsequently approved the release of such weapons after taking office in 2025.
The latest proposal follows another major arms package approved by the Trump administration in February 2025, valued at more than $7.4 billion and covering bombs, missiles and related military equipment.
The development also comes against the backdrop of Washington’s broader confrontation with Iran and its efforts to restrict financial and military support for Tehran. On Monday, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Russia’s VTB Bank, accusing the institution of helping Iran evade American sanctions and facilitating the movement of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
Washington said VTB had established banking relationships with sanctioned Iranian financial institutions and facilitated transactions involving Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The bank had already been sanctioned by the United States in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Taken together, the arms proposal and the new financial sanctions underscore the widening economic and military dimensions of Washington’s confrontation with Iran and its allies, while the proposed Israeli weapons transfer raises questions about how the United States is balancing support for its strategic partners with pressure on already-stretched American munitions reserves.
