The United States is preparing to sell the Iraqi government 5,000 Hellfire missiles through a proposed $700 million deal intended to equip Baghdad with additional power as militants from the Islamic State continue to wage a campaign across the region.
On Tuesday, the US State Department issued a statement announcing the preliminary approval of an agreement that would give Iraq a new arsenal of AGM-114K/N/R Hellfire missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support to help improve the Iraq Security Forces capability to support current on-going ground operations.
The Washington Post reported that the deal, if cleared for approval, would constitute the largest shipment yet of Hellfire missiles to Iraq. Congress will first have to authorize the arrangement, but AFP reported that lawmakers are expected to green-light the deal as planned.
Rear Admiral John Kirby, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, added that the order is only the latest instance in which Washington has reequipped the Iraqi military with weapon power as the Islamic State, a militant group previously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, continues to mount a campaign against Baghdad that in recent months has allowed the insurgents to take hold of key towns across Iraq and contributed to the deaths of over 5,500 civilians so far this year, according to the United Nations.
