Washington. Amid growing fears of war in West Asia, the US has approved the sale of arms worth $20 billion to Israel, which includes fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles. The US State Department gave this information. The department said that amid fears of Israel getting embroiled in a major war in Central Asia, the Congress (US Parliament) has been informed about the proposal to sell more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, 120 mm shells, mortars and other weapons and military equipment including tactical vehicles to Tel Aviv.
However, Israel is not expected to receive these weapons and military equipment in the near future as the supply contract will take several years to complete. The purpose of selling these weapons and military equipment to Israel is to enhance its military capabilities in the long term. The State Department said in a release, “The US is committed to Israel’s security. Helping Israel achieve and maintain a robust and ready self-defense capability is vital to the US national interests. This proposed sale is consistent with the above objectives.”