The Trump administration has approved about $7 billion in weapons for the United Arab Emirates, in deals the State Department is not required to announce publicly under U.S. arms export rules.
The unannounced sales include Patriot PAC-3 missiles worth roughly $5.6 billion and CH-47 Chinook helicopters costing about $1.32 billion.
These agreements come in addition to arms sales to three other Middle East countries, totaling more than $16.5 billion, which were announced earlier on Thursday.
The approvals were finalized Friday in Washington, D.C., primarily to strengthen Middle East allies amid escalating Iranian aggression in the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.
The tensions have disrupted energy routes and created urgent needs for missile defense, radar systems, and munitions to protect critical infrastructure and shipping lanes.
The Trump administration joined Israel in attacking Iran on February 28, sparking fears of a protracted regional conflict. U.S. and Israeli strikes have targeted Iranian energy facilities, including the Kharg Island oil port, while Iran has responded with threats to energy infrastructure in U.S. allies such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Iran has also largely restricted tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.
The latest arms deals come as the Pentagon requests additional funding to support the war. According to The Associated Press, citing a senior White House official, the Department of Defense is seeking an extra $200 billion.
In a Thursday news conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not specify the amount but acknowledged he was pursuing a significant spending increase from Congress. “Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys,” he said.
The request adds to additional military funding approved under President Trump’s tax bill last July, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which provided $150 billion more, bringing the Defense Department’s annual budget to over $1 trillion for fiscal year 2026.
Any new funds would require Congressional approval. Trump defended the proposed increase, citing global geopolitical threats.
“We’re asking for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran. This is a very volatile world,” he told reporters during a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.