Trump lifts bomb restrictions to Israel, reversing Biden's block
The Trump administration instructed the Pentagon to lift restrictions on the supply of heavy aerial bombs to Israel, as reported by the Axios portal. Previously, these restrictions had been imposed by Joe Biden.
The Trump administration decided to lift these restrictions, according to the Axios portal, citing three Israeli sources. This decision involves 1,800 MK-84 aerial bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds, which are expected to be sent to Israel in the coming days.
Joe Biden had previously blocked supplies
The previous Biden administration had blocked these supplies in May 2024 due to concerns about the safety of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Although suspending the supply did not significantly impact the Israeli military, the move was used politically. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the US had placed an "embargo" on ammunition supplies, which rallied Biden's Republican opponents to offer stronger support for Israel. Biden's decision was also criticized by the pro-Israel wing of the Democratic Party.
At the same time, blocking one shipment of ammunition did not silence the opposition from the progressive Democratic faction, who criticized American arms supplies to Israel.
For many years, Israel has been the largest recipient of US military aid. Before the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, this aid amounted to $3.8 billion annually. During the first year of the war, the US allocated $17.9 billion in military aid to Israel. The United States also remains the largest exporter of arms to Israel.
