The United States is “fully committed” to selling advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, despite a Biden government slowing down the deal, a senior U.S. arms export official said on Tuesday.
According to the Associated Press, Mira Raznik, a US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State who attended the Dubai Air Show, said that Gulf Arab partners are not seeking to buy weapons from Russia to cover up non-delivery of weapons from the United States over concerns about the human rights situation in the region.
Raznik said: “The F-35 is in the area right now, whether the Israelis are flying the F-35 or the F-35 is the Americans. We want the UAE to be able to deploy F-35s in a way that our security partners can prevent threats, including from Iran.”
The offer to sell 50 F-35 fighter jets at the end of former US President Donald Trump’s administration stemmed from an agreement under which the UAE recognized the Israeli regime. The $ 23 billion sale also includes UAE combat drones and other defense equipment.
After Joe Biden took office, his new government suspended arms sales and more. This is partly due to the criticism of the UAE and Saudi Arabia for their long war in Yemen, which has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Read more: The Independent: Britain has sold 20 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia since the start of the Yemeni war: https://www.paksahafat.com/en/?p=8731
The US official said he had not heard any concerns from Israel or its other allies about selling the F-35 to the UAE. He said: “We are fully committed to the F-35 and its transfer, which is a game changer for the Emirati people. We are trying to ensure that the various guarantees given to the previous government are clarified.
Raznik declined to say what the United States was looking for and what guarantees the Emirati people had offered. The UAE has not similarly discussed the terms of the sale.
Asked if the United States wanted to make sure American weapons were used in ways that enhanced US national security, Raznik said the United States would continue to work with its partners to prevent the killing of civilians.
The American diplomat said: “We have not seen any strategic competitor that can play the role we play in the region.”