US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the immediate sale of a massive array of air defense systems and other advanced weapons to Middle Eastern allies in deals worth $25.8 billion. This comes as Pentagon experts warn of a dangerous decline in US arms stockpiles in the wake of regional wars and Saudi officials have strongly denied involvement in any offensive operations.
Publish dateSaturday 9 May 2026 - 09:02
Story Code : 353979
$25.8 Billion in Arms Sales to Middle East Approved; Pentagon Faces ‘Empty Shelves’ Crisis
Saudi Denial: Our Airspace Has Not Been Opened
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): According to Bloomberg and IRNA, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the sale of hundreds of air defense interceptors and other military weapons to Washington’s key partners in the Middle East, in a move that far exceeds initial estimates. The value of these arms packages is announced at $25.8 billion, which is three times the $8.6 billion that the US government officially unveiled last week.
Emergency approval for five countries
According to a US State Department spokesman, Rubio issued this emergency approval on May 1st for the bulk sale of weapons to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and also the Israeli regime. A congressional aide confirmed the news and said that US lawmakers have been informed of this major move. A notable point in the new reports is the addition of Bahrain to the list of buyers, which was not mentioned in the US government's initial statement last week.
Equipment that will not arrive on time
The huge volume of these arms contracts is being finalized at a time when, according to Bloomberg, the slow pace of arms production in the US has raised serious questions about the realistic timing of the delivery of this equipment to the buyer countries. Former Pentagon official Elaine McCusker has warned that these weapons are not an immediate response to current crises. “You can only imagine a delivery time of more than two or three years if these equipment are in stock now; and they certainly would not be available for the current conflict,” she said.
The US arsenal is running out of stock
The large purchases come as military sources and analysts warn of an alarming decline in the US’s own strategic stockpile. According to a recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), also reported by CNN, the US military has used up a significant portion of its key missiles in its military operations against Iran. The report warns that the war poses a serious risk of running out of ammunition in the event of a new conflict in the next few years. The alarming statistics on the state of the US arsenal are as follows:
- 45% of the stock of precision attack missiles (Standoff Attack Weapons)
- At least 50% of the THAAD missile defense system
- Almost 50% of the Patriot missile defense system
These statistics show that while the US has committed to selling tens of billions of dollars in air defense equipment to its allies, its arsenals are also facing an unprecedented challenge to meet its own needs.
Saudi denial: Our airspace has not been opened
Meanwhile, amid growing speculation about the extent of Arab countries' cooperation with US military operations, the Wall Street Journal claimed that the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has been opened to American aircraft. However, Saudi officials have strongly denied this claim.
Al Arabiya TV quoted a senior Saudi official as saying that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not allowed the use of its airspace to support offensive military operations.” Referring to the published news, the Saudi source accused some parties of trying to tarnish Riyadh’s image, saying: “Some parties are trying to present a misleading image of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position for dubious reasons.”
Riyadh’s Mediation for Peace
Following this stance, Saudi officials have emphasized their commitment to diplomacy and have announced that Riyadh supports Pakistan’s efforts to reach an agreement that would end the war between the United States and Iran. These statements present Saudi Arabia as a peace-loving mediator, not a military partner; an image that is in complete contradiction to Western media narratives of Riyadh’s security cooperation with Washington. Analysts see this categorical denial as a sign of the complexity of security equations in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the efforts of Arab countries to intelligently distance themselves from the fire of war that could engulf the entire region.
Emergency approval for five countries
According to a US State Department spokesman, Rubio issued this emergency approval on May 1st for the bulk sale of weapons to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and also the Israeli regime. A congressional aide confirmed the news and said that US lawmakers have been informed of this major move. A notable point in the new reports is the addition of Bahrain to the list of buyers, which was not mentioned in the US government's initial statement last week.
Equipment that will not arrive on time
The huge volume of these arms contracts is being finalized at a time when, according to Bloomberg, the slow pace of arms production in the US has raised serious questions about the realistic timing of the delivery of this equipment to the buyer countries. Former Pentagon official Elaine McCusker has warned that these weapons are not an immediate response to current crises. “You can only imagine a delivery time of more than two or three years if these equipment are in stock now; and they certainly would not be available for the current conflict,” she said.
The US arsenal is running out of stock
The large purchases come as military sources and analysts warn of an alarming decline in the US’s own strategic stockpile. According to a recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), also reported by CNN, the US military has used up a significant portion of its key missiles in its military operations against Iran. The report warns that the war poses a serious risk of running out of ammunition in the event of a new conflict in the next few years. The alarming statistics on the state of the US arsenal are as follows:
- 45% of the stock of precision attack missiles (Standoff Attack Weapons)
- At least 50% of the THAAD missile defense system
- Almost 50% of the Patriot missile defense system
These statistics show that while the US has committed to selling tens of billions of dollars in air defense equipment to its allies, its arsenals are also facing an unprecedented challenge to meet its own needs.
Saudi denial: Our airspace has not been opened
Meanwhile, amid growing speculation about the extent of Arab countries' cooperation with US military operations, the Wall Street Journal claimed that the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has been opened to American aircraft. However, Saudi officials have strongly denied this claim.
Al Arabiya TV quoted a senior Saudi official as saying that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not allowed the use of its airspace to support offensive military operations.” Referring to the published news, the Saudi source accused some parties of trying to tarnish Riyadh’s image, saying: “Some parties are trying to present a misleading image of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position for dubious reasons.”
Riyadh’s Mediation for Peace
Following this stance, Saudi officials have emphasized their commitment to diplomacy and have announced that Riyadh supports Pakistan’s efforts to reach an agreement that would end the war between the United States and Iran. These statements present Saudi Arabia as a peace-loving mediator, not a military partner; an image that is in complete contradiction to Western media narratives of Riyadh’s security cooperation with Washington. Analysts see this categorical denial as a sign of the complexity of security equations in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the efforts of Arab countries to intelligently distance themselves from the fire of war that could engulf the entire region.
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