Trump Administration Approves Billions in Arms Sales to Israel
The Trump administration has significantly accelerated arms sales and military aid to Israel since January 2025, approving deals worth billions of dollars. Notifications to Congress and statements from the State Department reveal a rapid pace of approvals for heavy bombs, guided munitions, Apache helicopters, armored vehicles, and missile systems.
These sales come on top of substantial military aid provided during the previous Biden administration, which totaled approximately $17.9 billion from October 2023 to early 2025, according to a Brown University study. American weapons have been extensively used in the Gaza conflict, drawing criticism within the U.S. over taxpayer funding for Israel.
A new $2.8 billion deal is reportedly being prepared, including 40,000 2,000-pound bombs and 20,000 bunker-buster warheads. The administration has utilized emergency authorities to bypass standard congressional review processes for several of these sales, a tactic also employed by the Trump administration in previous terms.
Upon returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump immediately lifted a hold placed by the Biden administration on a $2.04 billion shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, which had been paused due to concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza. In February 2025, approvals for $7.4 billion in arms deals were announced, including bomb kits and Hellfire missiles. Further sales, totaling nearly $970 million, were expedited using emergency powers.
Additional sales in June 2025, following an Israeli strike on Iran, included over 7,000 precision guidance kits worth $510 million. In September 2025, a $6.67 billion package was revealed, featuring 30 Apache helicopters and 3,250 armored vehicles. In March 2026, after the start of hostilities with Iran, an emergency sale of over 20,000 bombs worth $650 million was approved, along with $298 million in direct sales. In May 2026, another $992.4 million deal for laser-guided missile systems was expedited.
Cumulatively, announced deals approved by the Trump administration have reached approximately $19.2 billion, excluding the latest $2.8 billion proposal. Much of this funding is channeled through U.S. military aid and foreign military financing programs.
