The U.S. State Department announced it has approved the potential sale of over $1.4 billion in helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts to the United Arab Emirates, just before President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East.
The proposed sale includes $1.32 billion for CH-47 F Chinook helicopters and $130 million for F-16s parts, the State Department said on Monday.
The department has informed Congress about the proposed sale, though some Democrats have indicated they might be reluctant to authorize this transaction.
This decision comes as Trump plans to visit the UAE later this week, marking the last leg of his four-day Middle Eastern tour. During this journey, he will also stop in Saudi Arabia and Qatar for his first significant international tour of his second term.
The State Department has notified Congress of the proposed sale to the UAE. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Congress has previously attempted to block Trump from completing arms sales to Gulf nations, including in 2019 during his first term, when lawmakers placed holds on deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE over concerns about civilian casualties in the war in Yemen, as the Saudi coalition has been accused of being responsible for the majority of civilian deaths.
However, Trump has invoked a provision allowing sales to go through immediately without a review period in cases considered an emergency.
