US approves possible military sales to Qatar, Kuwait, UAE

The US Department of State said Friday that it approved military sales to Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

The agency approved the possible sale of Patriot Air and Missile Defense replenishment services and related equipment to Qatar for $4.01 billion.

It also approved the potential sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) to Qatar for $992 million, and to the UAE for $147.6 million.

Separately, it green-lighted the possible sale of Integrated Battle Command System to Kuwait for $2.5 billion.

The announcement comes as the US and Israel began strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.