Trump administration may use Iran threat to sell bombs to Saudis without Congress' approval: Senator

USPresident DonaldTrump'sadministrationplans tousea loophole and rising tensions withIranto sell bombs to Saudi Arabia, even though Congress blocked such sales for months over concerns about civilian deaths in the war in Yemen, SenatorChris Murphy said on Wednesday.

"I am hearing thatTrumpmayusean obscure loophole in the Arms Control Act and notice a major new sale ofbombsto Saudi Arabia (the ones they drop in Yemen) in a way that would prevent Congress from objecting. Could happen this week," the Democratic senator warned on Twitter.

Congressional aides said there are provisions of the Arms Control Act, which sets rules for international arms transactions, that would allow a president to approve a salewithoutcongressional review in case of a national emergency.

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In this case, they said the Republican president would cite rising tensions withIranas a reason to provide more military equipment to Saudi Arabia, which he sees as an important USpartner in the region.Trumphas touted arms sales to theSaudisas a way to generate US jobs.

Trumppreviously declared an influx of immigrants a national emergency to bypass Congress and get $6 billion to build his wall along the Mexican border. Both Democrats and his fellow Republicans voted to block the move, forcingTrumpto issue the first veto of his presidency.

It was not immediately clear what equipment would be sold to Saudi Arabia or when any sale might go ahead.

However, any such plan would run into resistance in Congress, fromTrump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats like Murphy, even in the Senate, where Republicans have a slim majority.

A handful of Republicans recently voted with Democrats in a failed effort to overrideTrump's veto of a resolution that would have ended US support for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen's devastating civil war.

Many lawmakers from both parties have also expressed anger over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.

SenatorLindsey Graham, one ofTrump's closest congressional allies, told CNN he would oppose theadministrationif it decided to go around Congress, citing Khashoggi's killing.

"We are not going to have business as usual until that issue is dealt with," Graham said.

The State Department declined to comment. The White Housedid not respond to a request for comment.

The top Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations and Houseof Representatives Foreign Affairs committees, who review major international weapons deals, have been approving sales of defensive military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

But they have been putting "holds" - or blocking - the sale of offensive weapons likebombs, anti-tank missiles, small-diameter rockets and large mortars.

SenatorBob Menendez, the ranking Foreign Relations Democrat, has been blocking the sale of Raytheon Co's precision-guided munitions (PGMs) to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for about a year over concerns about the war in Yemen.