The US State Department approved the sale of $151.8 million worth of munitions to Israel on Friday as the countries engage Iran in an escalating Middle East war.

The sale of 12,000 requested 1,000-pound (470-kilogram) bomb bodies was approved by the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, according to a press release.

“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” the bureau said in a statement.

AFP