India, Feb. 1 -- The Trump administration has approved a massive new series of arms sales to Israel totalling $6.67 billion and to Saudi Arabia worth $9 billion. Both sets of sales were announced by the State Department late on Friday as tensions rise in the Middle East over the possibility of US military strikes in Iran.

They were made public after the department notified Congress of its approval of the sales earlier Friday. The sales also were announced as President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his ceasefire plan for Gaza that is intended to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and reconstruct and redevelop the Palestinian territory after two years of war left it devastated, with tens of thousands dead.

The Saudi sale is for 730 Patriot mi...