US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has approved the sale of fighter jets and other military equipment worth more than US$20 billion or around Rp. 312 trillion to Israel.
The Pentagon said Blinken approved possible sales of F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion. He also approved possible sales of about $774 million worth of tank shells and $583 million worth of military vehicles.
“The tank rounds will be available for immediate delivery. Boeing Co F-15 fighter jets take years to produce and deliver,” the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday, (14/8).
The US has staunchly supported Israel as its main Middle East ally launched a war on Gaza that has devastated the Palestinian enclave.
In addition to approving arms for Israel, Washington is also trying to arrange a ceasefire deal in Gaza that could potentially avert a wider Middle East war.
Fears of a wider war have grown since the recent assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Both men threatened retaliation against Israel. (TRT/Z-2)
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