The United States has greenlit a $400 million defense package for Kuwait, authorizing the upgrade and recertification of its Patriot missile systems at a time of heightened military activity and shifting alliances across the Middle East.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) confirmed, "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Kuwait of the Upgrade and Recertification of PATRIOT Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $400 million."

The package includes modernization of Kuwait's PAC-2 Guidance Enhancement Missiles and the recertification of GEM-T variants, along with spare parts, testing equipment, field assistance, and training. "The estimated total cost is $400 million," the release confirmed.

While Washington claims the deal will "integrate smoothly into [Kuwait's] forces without shifting the regional military balance," critics argue it forms part of a larger strategy to encircle Iran and escalate military pressure rather than pursue diplomatic resolution.

The announcement follows a wave of provocative US and Israeli strikes on resistance-aligned forces in Yemen and Syria. These actions—justified by the White House as "deterrence"—have only deepened instability and demonstrated the West's continued reliance on force over dialogue. President Donald Trump has openly threatened Iran with severe consequences if it does not return to the negotiating table under US terms, while Iranian officials have responded by reaffirming their right to defend regional sovereignty and resist foreign domination.

Read more: Iran's FM reaffirms readiness for indirect nuclear talks with US

The timing of the Patriot missile upgrade also coincides with the controversial joint aerial drills in Greece—Iniochos 2025—which, for the first time, included "Israel" alongside Gulf states such as the UAE and Qatar. For many in the region, this unprecedented military cooperation signals the deepening normalization between some Arab regimes and Tel Aviv, despite continued Israeli aggression against Palestinians and its role in fomenting conflict across the region.

🚨⚡️ For the first time in history…

Qatar 🇶🇦 and the UAE 🇦🇪 are participating in joint aerial military exercises with Israel 🇮🇱 under the name “Iniochos Warrior” in Greece 🇬🇷. pic.twitter.com/fXSw5vImkb

— SilencedSirs◼️ (@SilentlySirs) April 3, 2025

Iran, which views these alignments as part of a broader imperial project led by the US and supported by its regional clients, has consistently called for a security architecture led by regional powers, free of foreign interference.