Trump Invokes Emergency Arms Sales Authority to Counter Iran

Decision to speed delivery of 22 deals worth $8 billion; opponents decry administration’s move.

The Trump administration on Friday invoked a rarely used provision of American arms control laws to sidestep Congress and authorize billions of dollars in weapons sales to Middle East allies, angering U.S. lawmakers who characterized the decision as an abuse of power.

Citing concerns about Iran, U.S. officials notified Congress that the administration is declaring an emergency under arms control laws so it can rush through the weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two key allies in Washington’s intensifying confrontation with Tehran.

The sale represents a broad package of 22 separate deals worth about $8 billion, including sales of precision-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., according to people familiar with the deal and documents seen by The Wall Street Journal. The decision also clears the way for the U.A.E. to transfer 500 of the precision-guided missiles “as a gift” to the Jordanian army, according to the documents.

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