Israel has asked the US to provide more weapons because of the worsening situation in the Middle East.
What is known about Israel's request for weapons
Three agency sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the request was made on April 19. According to them, the administration of the US president has not yet started an official assessment.
The agency notes that this request is separate from a request for $95 billion in additional funding that Congress plans to pass this weekend for military aid to Israel and Ukraine. One of the officials said the U.S. had not yet begun the process of reviewing the request, which in any case would take many months and would not guarantee a sale.
Tank ammunition will make up the bulk of the sale, with Oshkosh Corp.'s family of medium tactical vehicles the other half, one of the officials said.
The agency said the new request also differs from a previous request to sell Israel more than 1,000 500-pound MK-82 bombs and more than 1,000 250-pound small-diameter bombs, as well as fuses for other munitions, which still await congressional approval. If the contract is approved and signed, these munitions will be delivered no earlier than 2025.
As Bloomberg notes, any such request would once again put Joe Biden's administration in a delicate position, as the head of the White House has said that American support for Israel's defense is "ironclad" following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
Iran's attack on Israel
Israel's need for additional weapons was highlighted on April 13, when its air defenses, with the help of the United States, Great Britain and other countries, repelled a barrage of about 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran. This raised fears of an escalation of "an eye for an eye" and heightened concerns about a wider war in the Middle East region.
On April 19, Israel retaliated by hitting the radar of the air defense complex near the airport of the Iranian city of Isfahan.
The US State Department said it was not involved in the operation, and the White House declined to comment on the incident.
In addition, on April 19, a powerful explosion occurred near Baghdad at a military base used by the Iraqi People's Mobilization Forces (PMF). The attack resulted in injuries and destruction.
The US and Israel have denied any involvement in the airstrike.
