The US Department of State announced on 1/5 that it approved a sale to Qatar for "Patriot air defense system sustainment services" valued at USD 4,01 billion, along with advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) rockets worth USD 992,4 million.
The US also approved the sale of an "integrated combat command system" to Kuwait, valued at USD 2,5 billion. Additionally, APKWS rocket sales to Israel and the United Arab Emirates were approved, worth USD 992 million and USD 147 million, respectively.
Buyers and suppliers will finalize the quantity of equipment and the final price during negotiations.
A Patriot system allowing an Iranian missile to hit a base in Jordan, as shown in a video posted on 2/4. Video: X/Clash Report
Normally, the US Congress has 30 days from notification to block a sale. If no opposition from Congress occurs, the contract would be presented to President Donald Trump for approval.
However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined an "emergency situation" requires the US government to expedite the process, bypassing congressional review to quickly provide weapons to allies.
The US and Israel attacked targets in Iran on 28/2, igniting conflict across the Middle East. Tehran responded with retaliation campaigns, launching missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against Washington's military facilities in the region and infrastructure in several Gulf nations.
Bloomberg estimated on 30/3 that Iran launched nearly 1,200 ballistic missiles and 4,000 Shahed suicide drones into neighboring countries. These figures are based on incomplete statistics released by Gulf nation officials.
Gulf air defenses face missile depletion risk
Experts assess that the conflict has significantly depleted resources for the US, Israel, and regional allies, with air defense missiles experiencing the most severe consumption.
"The US and Gulf nations fired at least 2,400 interceptors, possibly more, to counter Iranian ballistic missiles during over one month of conflict. Most of these were PAC-3 and PAC-2 GEM-T rounds from Patriot systems," said Bloomberg writer Gerry Doyle.
Data from Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreements approved by the US Department of State, along with estimates from three experts and an anonymous source familiar with the situation, indicate that Gulf nations possessed fewer than 2,800 Patriot missiles before the conflict escalated.
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A Patriot system launcher in Texas, US, in 3/2025. Photo: US Army
FMS documents only show the quantity of missiles customers proposed to buy or the US Department of State approved for sale; actual deliveries may be lower. Efforts by Gulf nations to replenish missile stocks are challenging due to high demand and limited manufacturing speed.
"Without active US support, most Gulf nations would have nothing left to defend themselves," warned Kelly Grieco, a defense policy expert at the US-based Stimson Center.
Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, AFP)
