Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said "Iranian malign activity" required the "immediate sale" of weapons

US President Donald Trump is approving the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing Iranian threats to its arch rival.

Mr Trump invoked a rarely used aspect of federal law to push through the $8bn (£6bn) deal - bypassing Congress.

He did so by declaring that ongoing tensions with Iran amounted to a national emergency.

The move has angered those who fear the weapons may be used against civilians in Yemen by Saudi-led forces.

Some Democrats accused the president of bypassing Congress because the sale of weapons - including precision-guided bombs - would have been strongly opposed on Capitol Hill.

Weapons will also reportedly be sold to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Members of Congress have heavily criticised Saudi Arabia's human rights record over its role in the Yemen conflict and for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last October.

On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified Congress of the administration's decision to make the sale. In a letter, widely reported in US media, he said that "Iranian malign activity" required the "immediate sale" of weapons.

"[Iran's] activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad," he wrote.

He said the transfers "must occur as quickly as possible in order to deter further Iranian adventurism in the Gulf and throughout the Middle East".

What has the reaction been?

The move quickly garnered opposition. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, accused Mr Trump of "granting favours to authoritarian countries".

"[He] has failed once again to prioritise our long term national security interests or stand up for human rights," he said in a statement.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC’s Paul Adams looks at the recent developments behind the US-Iran tensions

Republican Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Senator Jim Risch, said he had been informed by the Trump administration that it planned to confirm "a number of arms sales".

"I am reviewing and analysing the legal justification for this action," he said.

Senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said the US needed to rein in Saudi Arabia rather than hand it more weapons.

"My whole view of Saudi Arabia changed with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," she said.

Khashoggi, who was a strong critic of the Saudi government, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. His body was reportedly dismembered and his remains have still not been found.

Iran also reacted angrily to the US move, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif calling it "extremely dangerous" for international peace.

News of the Trump administration's decision came shortly after it announced it would bolster the US military presence in the Middle East. An additional 1,500 troops, as well as fighter jets and drones, will be deployed to the region in the near future.

Patrick Shanahan, the acting Defence Secretary, says the move was intended to counter "ongoing threats posed by Iranian forces, including the IRGC [Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps] and its proxies".

Why are there tensions with Iran?

Tensions between the US and Iran began rising this month when Washington put pressure on countries still buying from Iran by ending exemptions from sanctions. The decision was intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue.

Mr Trump reinstated the sanctions last year after abandoning the landmark nuclear deal that Iran has signed with six nations - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.

Iran has now announced it it will suspend several commitments under the deal.

There has also been a spike in tensions in the Gulf more widely.

Four oil tankers were damaged in what the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said were sabotage attacks while drone attacks on two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi rebels - who are supported by Iran - forced the temporary closure of a pipeline.

Iran denied it was behind the incidents but Rear Admiral Michael Gilday, director of the US Joint Staff, has accused the IRGC of being directly responsible. </s> The Trump administration on Friday cited a national security "emergency" allegedly caused by Iran to bypass Congress and rush through arms sales worth billions of dollars to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East allies, in a move that drew condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Citing a rarely used provision of arms control law, the administration informed lawmakers it was declaring a national security emergency, allowing it to go ahead with the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan without congressional approval, according to administration letters sent to senators and obtained by NBC News.

"I have determined that an emergency exists which requires the proposed sale in the national security interest of the United States, and, thus, waives the congressional review requirements," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a letter to Sen. James Risch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The decision affected various arms packages worth roughly $8 billion, including deals for precision-guided bombs and related gear for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to the documents and congressional aides.

The two countries are staunch U.S. allies that support President Donald Trump's policies on Iran and have been waging a war since 2015 in support of the Yemeni government against Houthi rebels backed by Tehran.

The move came despite growing bipartisan opposition to any arms sales to Saudi Arabia amid outrage over the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year, as well as over Riyadh's air war in Yemen that has caused high numbers of civilian casualties.

A bipartisan majority in Congress has voted to halt U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen but President Donald Trump vetoed the legislation last month.

A memo accompanied Pompeo's letters justifying the declaration of the emergency due to Iran's actions, including its support for Houthi rebels in Yemen fighting the Saudi-led coalition.

"Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad," the memo states. "Current threat reporting indicates Iran engages in preparations for further malign activities throughout the Middle East region, including potential targeting of U.S. and allied military forces in the region."

Iran has accused the U.S. of trying to provoke a war and denied any role in recent attacks on ships near the coast of the UAE or on a pipeline in Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo said in a statement that delaying the arms shipments, which included bombs, parts for fighter jets and other hardware, could cause problems for allied aircraft and call into question U.S. reliability in providing equipment.

"The United States is, and must remain, a reliable security partner to our allies and partners around the world," Pompeo said.

But the secretary of state said the decision to bypass Congress was a “a one-time event” and that the administration would uphold the long-established process for congressional review of proposed arms sales.

Democrats in Congress said the Trump administration expedited the arms packages because it could not secure a majority of lawmakers to support any proposed sales to the Saudis.

"President Trump is only using this loophole because he knows Congress would disapprove of this sale. There is no new 'emergency' reason to sell bombs to the Saudis to drop in Yemen, and doing so only perpetuates the humanitarian crisis there," Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said in a statement.

Some Republicans also denounced the White House for circumventing Congress to complete the sale.

“I understand the administration’s frustration that key members of Congress held these arms sales for an extended period of time, in some cases for over a year," said Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

"However, the President’s decision to use an emergency waiver on these sales is unfortunate and will damage certain future congressional interactions."

Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana called on the administration to reconsider the decision.

"I strongly urge the administration to reverse course from bypassing congressional oversight on arms sales to Saudi Arabia," Young said.

"Iran remains the world's largest state sponsor of terror but the current threats that have been briefed to members of Congress do not justify taking this dramatic step. "

Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, questioned whether the decision was legal and accused the Trump administration of flouting congressional authority while granting favors to Gulf governments accused of human rights abuses and alleged indiscriminate bombing in Yemen.

"I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Trump Administration has failed once again to prioritize our long term national security interests or stand up for human rights, and instead is granting favors to authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia," Menendez said in a statement.

He said "the Trump administration decided to do an end run around the Congress and possibly the law."

Menendez had held up the sale of tens of thousands of precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for a year, due to concerns about civilian deaths from Saudi-led airstrikes, the killing of Khashoggi and alleged rights abuses linked to the UAE in the war in Yemen.

Rights advocates and humanitarian groups also condemned the decision.

"The Trump Administration is manufacturing an emergency to push through the sale of deadly weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates," Scott Paul of Oxfam America said. "The real emergency is the 12 million people at risk of famine in Yemen and the largest-ever recorded cholera outbreak continues to spread because of the conflict, but this administration shows little concern for the millions who suffer."

Apart from precision-guided munitions or so-called "smart bombs," the arms sales for Saudi Arabia include mortar bombs, engines and maintenance support for F-15 fighter jets and logistical services for the Saudi air force, according to documents sent to Congress from the administration.

The arms packages for the United Arab Emirates cover precision-guided bombs, equipment for AH-64 helicopters, laser-guided rockets, javelin anti-tank missiles, .50 caliber semi-automatic rifles, Patriot missiles, F-16 fighter jet engine parts and U.S. Marine Corps training of the country’s presidential guard. The weapons sale for Jordan involved a transfer of Paveway precision-guided bombs from the Emirates.

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration has refrained from public criticism of the Saudi-led coalition's campaign in Yemen and has focused on Iran's support of Houthi rebels in the conflict, accusing Tehran of fueling the war.

But some experts and former officials say the war in Yemen benefits Iran and Al Qaeda-linked militants and that the U.S. needs to use its influence with the Saudis to bring an end to the fighting.

"The longer the civil war in Yemen continues, the more opportunity Tehran will have to undermine the interests of the U.S. and our security partners," said Bradley Bowman of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.

"It is in U.S. national security interests to end the civil war in Yemen and address the horrible humanitarian crisis there — both of which are pushing the Houthis deeper into the welcoming arms of Tehran."

Menendez and other lawmakers said they would look at a possible legislative response to the Trump administration's decision. Two Democratic congressional aides said senators were discussing legislation that would possibly bar future arms sales to Saudi Arabia without congressional approval.

The White House move could trigger a backlash in Congress that would jeopardize future arms sales, Bowman said.

"An administration end-run around Congress to complete arms sales to Riyadh risks inciting a congressional reaction that will undermine the administration's broader goals related to its conventional arms transfer policy," he said.

Under U.S. arms control law, Congress must be given 30 days to approve U.S. arms sales to foreign countries. However, in a rarely used provision of that law, the president can declare an "emergency," sidestepping Congress and sending the sale through immediately.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan used the same provision to sell 400 Stinger missiles and 200 launchers to Saudi Arabia in response to its urgent request for help in defending the kingdom against Iran.

Saudi Arabia remains the United States' largest foreign military sales customer with more than $129 billion in approved purchases. </s> File photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh, May 20, 2017.

The Trump administration on Friday invoked a rarely used provision in federal law to bypass congressional review of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, citing threats the kingdom faces from Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified Congress of the decision to use an emergency loophole in the Arms Export Control Act to move ahead with sales of $7 billion in precision guided munitions, other bombs and ammunition and aircraft maintenance support to Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, without lawmakers' approval.

>> Read more: Trump may expect Riyadh to invest in peace deal, but Saudi dollars come at a high price | Analysis ■ America should tread carefully to avoid pushing Iraq further into Iran’s orbit | Analysis ■ Netanyahu's Iran dilemma: Getting Trump to act without putting Israel on the front line | Analysis

In his notification, Pompeo said he had made the determination "that an emergency exists which requires the immediate sale" of the weapons "in order to deter further the malign influence of the government of Iran throughout the Middle East region." He said the transfers "must occur as quickly as possible in order to deter further Iranian adventurism in the Gulf and throughout the Middle East."

Pompeo said the sale would "deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defence capacity," adding such a determination was intended to be a "one-time event." 

 

He tweeted that some of the sales were presented to Congress almost 18 months ago but lawmakers "failed to act."

Pompeo's move follows President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. plans to send 1,500 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East as part of a build-up in response to an unspecified threat from Iran.

It also comes as the administration has actively courted close ties with Saudi Arabia over congressional objections, notably following the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S.-based columnist for The Washington Post, by Saudi agents in October.

Khashoggi's slaying, coupled with increasing concerns about civilian casualties resulting from a Saudi-led coalition's military operation against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, prompted lawmakers to block about $2 billion in arms sales to the kingdom for more than a year. Last month, Trump vetoed legislation that would have ended U.S. military assistance for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Critics of the Saudi campaign quickly denounced Friday's step.

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the administration did not cite a specific legal or practical reason for using the loophole other than Iran.

"I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Trump administration has failed once again to prioritize our long term national security interests or stand up for human rights, and instead is granting favors to authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia," Menendez said in a statement.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who earlier this week warned against bypassing Congress, said the administration was only declaring an emergency because lawmakers would have blocked the transfers.

"President Trump is only using this loophole because he knows Congress would disapprove of this sale," Murphy said. "There is no new 'emergency' reason to sell bombs to the Saudis."

The law requires Congress to be notified of potential arms sales, giving the body the opportunity to block the sale. But the law also allows the president to waive that review process by declaring an emergency that requires the sale be made "in the national security interests of the United States."

Menendez and Murphy said they would challenge the decision but it was not immediately clear how they might do that.

"With this move, the president is destroying the productive and decades-long working relationship on arms sales between the Congress and the executive branch," Menendez said. "The possible consequences of this decision will ultimately threaten the ability of the U.S. defense industry to export arms in a manner that is both expeditious and responsible."

The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, said he was "reviewing and analyzing the legal justification for this action and the associated implications."

There is precedent for using the emergency exemption for arms sales to Saudi Arabia. President Ronald Reagan invoked it in the 1980s and both Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush used it for sales before the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq war. </s> US Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was “unfortunate” the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.

The Trump administration is pressing Riyadh to show “tangible progress” toward holding to account those behind Khashoggi’s killing, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

The ranking Republican on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing on Wednesday that he supports “the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran,” but “the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate.”

Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration’s move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses.

Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review major weapons sales.

Strains between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent weeks, a year after Trump, a Republican, abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump’s administration announced that it was sending 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East, which it described as an effort to bolster defences against what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran.

Iran has warned against any military aggression. “Iran will never initiate a war but will give a crushing response to any aggression,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

In a memorandum justifying the emergency declaration, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad.”

Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phony. Defending the administration’s position at Wednesday’s hearing, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper said, “This is an emergency, this is a one-time event.”

However, Cooper later said a “one time event is conditions-based,” and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons.

Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday’s hearing. “Anything that’s what’s called ‘off the shelf’ then it’s already moving” to customers, Cooper said. But Cooper said “there was nothing new in these 22 sales,” indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications.

US Senators have drafted 22 “resolutions of disapproval.” The resolutions are intended to “protect and reaffirm Congress’ role of approving arms sales to foreign governments.”

Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp. </s> U.S. Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was “unfortunate” the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.

The Trump administration is pressing Riyadh to show “tangible progress” toward holding to account those behind Khashoggi’s killing, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

The ranking Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing on Wednesday that he supports “the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran,” but “the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate.”

Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration’s move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses.

Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review major weapons sales.

Strains between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent weeks, a year after Trump, a Republican, abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump’s administration announced that it was sending 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East, which it described as an effort to bolster defenses against what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran.

Iran has warned against any military aggression.

“Iran will never initiate a war but will give a crushing response to any aggression,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

In a memorandum justifying the emergency declaration, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad.”

Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phony.

Defending the administration’s position at Wednesday’s hearing, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper said: “This is an emergency, this is a one time event.”

However, Cooper later said a “one time event is conditions based,” and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons.

Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday’s hearing. “Anything that’s what’s called ‘off then shelf’ then it’s already moving” to customers, Cooper said.

But Cooper said “there was nothing new in these 22 sales,” indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications.

U.S. Senators have drafted 22 “resolutions of disapproval.” The resolutions are intended to “protect and reaffirm Congress’ role of approving arms sales to foreign governments.”

Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp. </s> US Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was “unfortunate” the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review, Reuters reports.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.

The Trump administration is pressing Riyadh to show “tangible progress” toward holding to account those behind Khashoggi’s killing, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

The ranking Republican on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing on Wednesday that he supports “the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran,” but “the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate.”

Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration’s move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses.

Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review significant weapons sales.

Strains between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent weeks, a year after Trump, a Republican, abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump’s administration announced that it was sending 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East, which it described as an effort to bolster defences against what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran.

Iran has warned against any military aggression. “Iran will never initiate a war but will give a crushing response to any aggression,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

In a memorandum justifying the emergency declaration, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and American security at home and abroad.”

Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phoney.

Defending the administration’s position at Wednesday’s hearing, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper said: “This is an emergency, this is a one-time event.”

However, Cooper later said a “one time event is conditions-based,” and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons.

Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday’s hearing. “Anything that’s what’s called ‘off the shelf’ then it’s already moving” to customers, Cooper said.

But Cooper said “there was nothing new in these 22 sales,” indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications.

US Senators have drafted 22 “resolutions of disapproval.” The resolutions are intended to “protect and reaffirm Congress’ role of approving arms sales to foreign governments.”

Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump's plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was "unfortunate" the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.

The Trump administration is pressing Riyadh to show "tangible progress" toward holding to account https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-usa/u-s-pushes-for-saudi-progress-on-khashoggi-probe-before-anniversary-of-killing-idUSKCN1TC2RY those behind Khashoggi's killing, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

The ranking Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing on Wednesday that he supports "the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran," but "the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate."

Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration's move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses.

Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review major weapons sales. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-arms/defying-congress-trump-sets-8-billion-plus-in-weapons-sales-to-saudi-arabia-uae-idUSKCN1SU25R

Strains between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent weeks, a year after Trump, a Republican, abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump’s administration announced that it was sending 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East, which it described as an effort to bolster defences against what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran.

Iran has warned against any military aggression. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-japan-usa/japans-abe-warns-of-armed-conflict-amid-soaring-u-s-iran-tension-idUSKCN1TD0RJ

"Iran will never initiate a war but will give a crushing response to any aggression," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

In a memorandum justifying the emergency declaration, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad."

Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phony.

Defending the administration's position at Wednesday's hearing, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper said: "This is an emergency, this is a one time event."

However, Cooper later said a "one time event is conditions based," and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons.

Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday's hearing. "Anything that's what's called 'off then shelf' then it's already moving" to customers, Cooper said.

But Cooper said "there was nothing new in these 22 sales," indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications.

U.S. Senators have drafted 22 "resolutions of disapproval." The resolutions https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-arms/republican-democratic-senators-seek-to-block-trump-saudi-arms-sales-idUSKCN1T61PL are intended to "protect and reaffirm Congress' role of approving arms sales to foreign governments."

Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Your guide to the latest cricket World Cup stories, analysis, reports, opinions, live updates and scores on https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019.html. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or like our Facebook page for updates throughout the ongoing event in England and Wales. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump's plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was "unfortunate" the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

The ranking Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing he supports "the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran," but "the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate."

Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration's move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses.

Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review major weapons sales. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-arms/defying-congress-trump-sets-8-billion-plus-in-weapons-sales-to-saudi-arabia-uae-idUSKCN1SU25R

Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phony.

Defending the administration's position, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper told the committee in testimony: "This is an emergency, this is a one time event."

However, Cooper later said a "one time event is conditions based," and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons.

Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday's hearing. "Anything that's what's called 'off then shelf' then it's already moving" to customers, Cooper said.

But Cooper said "there was nothing new in these 22 sales," indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications.

U.S. Senators have drafted 22 "resolutions of disapproval," one for each of the 22 arms deals. The resolutions https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-arms/republican-democratic-senators-seek-to-block-trump-saudi-arms-sales-idUSKCN1T61PL are intended to "protect and reaffirm Congress' role of approving arms sales to foreign governments."

Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump, saying there is a national emergency because of tensions with Iran, swept aside objections from Congress and cleared the sale of $8 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

The Trump administration informed congressional committees on Friday that it will go ahead with 22 military sales to the Saudis, United Arab Emirates and Jordan, infuriating lawmakers by circumventing a long-standing precedent for congressional review of such sales.

In documents sent to Congress and seen by Reuters, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listed a wide range of products and services that would be provided to the three countries. They include Raytheon precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp .

Some lawmakers and congressional aides had warned earlier this week that Trump, frustrated with Congress holding up weapons deals like the sale of the Raytheon-made bombs to the Saudis, was considering using a loophole in arms control law to go ahead by declaring a national emergency.

Lawmakers had been blocking sales of offensive military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for months, concerned about the huge civilian toll of the two countries’ air campaign in Yemen and human rights abuses like the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

Congressional sources said Friday’s order included all the defense equipment that members of Congress had been blocking.

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Trump Administration has failed once again to prioritize our long-term national security interests or stand up for human rights, and instead is granting favors to authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia,” Senator Bob Menendez said in a statement.

Menendez is one of the members of Congress who reviews such sales because he is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Another, the Republican Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Senator Jim Risch, said he had received formal notification of the administration’s intent to move forward with “a number of arms sales.”

In a statement, Risch said, “I am reviewing and analyzing the legal justification for this action and the associated implications.”

The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In his memorandum to Congress justifying the sale, Pompeo listed years of actions by Iran. “Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad,” he wrote, and cited “a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” from Tehran.

Congressional aides questioned the contention that the weapons had to do with Iran, saying the equipment and services listed by the administration includes large amounts of offensive weapons, like the PGMs and tank ammunition.

They said lawmakers have not been blocking defensive equipment such as Patriot missile defense systems that have been sold to the Saudis.

“This is all materiel that arguably could be used in the Yemen military operation. The defensive stuff we’ve cleared,” one congressional aide said.
U.S. President Donald Trump bypasses Congress to approve the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing Iranian threats against the latter.