Trump declares Iran emergency to bypass Congress on Gulf arms sales
The Donald Trump administration cited Iran as the justification to invoke emergency powers to transfer arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over congressional objections.
The Donald Trump administration is citing the “fundamental threat” of Iran to justify its end-run around Congress in providing several billion dollars’ worth of bombs and other weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
In a notification to Congress obtained by Al-Monitor, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo invoked an emergency powers exemption to arms export controls to proceed with 22 arms sales worth $8.1 billion. The transmittal comes the same day that Trump confirmed plans to send an additional 1,500 troops to the Middle East to counter Iran.
“Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad,” the State Department justification states. “Current threat reporting indicates Iran engages in preparations for further malign activities throughout the Middle East region, including potential targeting of US and allied military forces in the region.”
In a press statement explaining his decision later in the afternoon, Pompeo suggested Congress has put the United States and its allies at risk with its arms holds.
