Blinken says US will move forward with F-35 sale to UAE

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the United States is prepared move forward with the sale of F-35 aircraft and other weaponry to the United Arab Emirates after reports emerged that the wealthy Gulf country had suspended negotiations on the deal. 

The arms deal, which emerged in the waning days of the Trump administration, would make the UAE the first Arab country to obtain Lockheed Martin’s F-35, the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. The $23 billion package, which also includes Reaper drones and precision munitions, was placed under review by the Biden administration in January. 

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Malaysia, Blinken said the United States is “prepared to move forward … if that is what the Emiratis are interested in doing.”

Blinken’s comments came a day after the UAE’s embassy in Washington confirmed it had suspended discussions over the planned upgrades to its advanced defense capabilities.

“The US remains the UAE’s preferred provider for advanced defense requirements, and discussions for the F-35 may be reopened in the future,” read an embassy statement. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported on Tuesday that Abu Dhabi was threatening to scuttle the deal because of strict security restrictions imposed by Washington to safeguard the fifth-generation fighter jets from Chinese espionage. Blinken declined to elaborate on the conditions when asked by reporters on Wednesday. 

“We wanted to make sure that we could do a full review of any technologies that are sold or transferred to other partners in the region, including the UAE,” the secretary said, adding that it was important Israel’s “qualitative military edge” in the region is maintained. 

The Israeli government, which normalized relations with the UAE as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, said it does not oppose the F-35 deal. 

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan on Monday, their first such meeting since Israel and the UAE normalized relations. 

Last month, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security Mira Resnick said the United States planned to move ahead with the sale, which she called “a game-changing opportunity for the UAE and for our partnership.”

The UAE has described the sale as one that would enhance its ability to counter evolving regional threats, but critics said the advanced weaponry could further fuel regional conflicts, including in Yemen and Libya. 

The F-35 sale is likely to be on the agenda when an Emirati delegation visits Washington this week for US-UAE defense dialogues. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters that the meetings beginning Wednesday will cover the “broad scope of our defense relationship” and aren’t designed to focus on the F-35s.