Shibbir Ahmed, WASHINGTON DC: The Trump administration is planning to sell Israel a $2.8 billion package of munitions, including tens of thousands of 2,000-pound bombs, according to a U.S. official familiar with the proposed sale. The package would include 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, both weighing 2,000 pounds, according to the official.

The proposed sale has been informally communicated to congressional committees that review major U.S. arms transfers, but the deal has not yet been publicly announced by the State Department. The Israeli Embassy in Washington also had not publicly commented on the proposal as of Tuesday.

The planned weapons transfer comes as the United States continues its military and security partnership with Israel amid ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions across the Middle East.

Israel has used similar heavy munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Their use in densely populated areas has drawn scrutiny from human rights experts because of the potential for significant civilian casualties.

The proposed sale also comes amid debate in the United States over Washington’s military support for Israel. Reuters reported that a 2026 public opinion poll found an increasing share of Americans believe U.S. support for Israel has gone too far, with the shift particularly pronounced among Democrats.

The proposed $2.8 billion package would represent a significant addition to Israel’s stock of heavy U.S.-made munitions. However, the plan remains subject to the U.S. arms-sale process and congressional review.

The proposal comes as the wider Middle East remains under heightened military tension following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran earlier this year and continuing violence in the region.

Shibbir AHmed, WASHINGTON DC — President Donald Trump has described the ongoing U.S. military conflict with Iran as “small potatoes,” downplaying the scale of a confrontation that has continued for months and resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. service members.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said he preferred to describe the situation as a “military conflict” rather than a war, echoing Vice President JD Vance’s argument that the fighting does not meet the definition of a conventional war.

Trump said U.S. military operations have largely involved intermittent airstrikes and emphasized that American ground troops have not been engaged in sustained combat. He compared the current casualties with those suffered in previous major U.S. wars. The president’s comments came as tensions with Tehran remain high and the United States continues military operations against Iranian targets.

Trump threatens further strike

Trump also warned that the United States could strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear facility, if Washington determines that Iran is moving equipment or taking other action at the site. The president said the United States could act against the facility “quite soon,” adding another potential escalation point in the conflict.

The conflict began on February 28 and has involved repeated U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets, while Iran has retaliated with attacks against U.S. and allied positions in the region. According to reporting cited by AP, the conflict has killed 18 U.S. service members and cost the United States more than $37.5 billion.

Trump says Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons

Trump reiterated that Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under his administration. The comments come amid continuing concerns over Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and the possibility that further U.S. strikes could broaden the conflict.

Trump has repeatedly sought to portray the U.S. military campaign as limited, while the continuing casualties, financial costs and regional consequences have kept the conflict at the center of U.S. foreign-policy and domestic political debate.

Vice President Vance has also defended the administration’s decision not to characterize the confrontation as a traditional war, pointing to the nature of the military operations and the absence of sustained U.S. ground combat.

Trump’s remarks are likely to intensify debate over the administration’s Iran strategy as the conflict continues and the United States approaches the 2026 midterm elections.