Israel has reached out to the US requesting additional tank ammunition and tactical vehicles. Tel Aviv seeks to replenish its supplies amidst the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and escalating tensions with Iran, according to Bloomberg.
Three anonymous agency sources stated that the request was made on April 19. According to them, the US administration has not yet begun an official assessment.
The State Department and the National Security Council declined to comment.
The agency notes that this request is separate from the request for an additional $95 billion in funding that Congress plans to pass this weekend to provide military aid to Israel and Ukraine. One official said that the US has not yet begun the process of reviewing the request, which in any case will take many months and does not guarantee a sale.
According to one official, most of the sale will consist of tank ammunition, with the other part being the Oshkosh Corp family of medium tactical vehicles.
The agency notes that the new request also differs from a previous request for the sale of over 1000 500-pound MK-82 bombs and over 1000 250-pound small-diameter bombs, as well as fuzes for other munitions, which are still awaiting approval from Congress. If approved and a contract is signed, these munitions will not be delivered before 2025.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration was discussing Israel's request for the transfer of 120mm tank ammunition, transport vehicles, and mortar rounds worth $1 billion.
As Bloomberg notes, any such request will once again put the Biden administration in a delicate position, as the White House chief has stated that American support for Israel's defense is ironclad following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Escalation of Israel's confrontation with Iran
Israel's need for additional weaponry intensified on April 13 when its air defense, supported by the US, the UK, and other countries, intercepted around 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran. This raised concerns of an escalation and heightened fears of a wider war in the Middle East region.
In the early hours of Friday, April 19, Israel retaliated by striking a radar system near the airport in the Iranian city of Isfahan.
The US State Department stated that it was not involved in this operation, and the White House declined to comment on the event.
Later, Israeli media released satellite images showing damage to the radar system near Isfahan.
Additionally, on the evening of Friday, April 19, a powerful explosion occurred near Baghdad at a military base used by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq. There are casualties and destruction as a result of the attack.
The US and Israel denied any involvement in this airstrike.