Under the UAE's recent peace deal with Israel, the United States has begun considering the UAE's request to purchase F-35 fighter jets.
This was stated by an industry source who was involved in talks with government officials, according to a report by the foreign news agency Reuters.
The prospect of a sale that would reduce Israel's military interests in the Middle East came as Israel and the United Arab Emirates said last week that they would normalize diplomatic relations and establish a broader relationship under the agreement. US President Donald Trump has played a mediating role in this.
In a news conference yesterday, Donald Trump said that the UAE is interested in buying F-35 fighter jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is also being used by Israel.
"They want to buy an F-35, we'll see what happens, it's being reviewed," he said. Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the need to maintain Israeli military superiority in the region. He said he would oppose the sale of US F-35s to the United Arab Emirates.
It could take years to negotiate and supply the sale of F-35s, which could give a new US presidential administration plenty of time to block the deal. Poland, which recently bought 32 F-35s, It will receive its first shipment by 2024, and any sale will require congressional approval. Industry sources said the possible sale of the aircraft was arranged with the help of Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kishner. has been.
The Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It should also be noted that the deal for the possible sale of the F-35 was first reported by an Israeli newspaper. Following the report, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying that Israel had joined the United Arab Emirates. The UAE has not been flexible in its opposition to any US arms sales that could reduce military stability as part of US efforts to normalize relations.
Under a decades-old agreement, Washington has refused to sell arms to the Middle East that could undermine Israel's "Qualitative Military Age" (QME) or, in other words, Israel's military superiority. It has also been denied sale to Arab states, while Israel has bought it.
Under the agreement with the UAE, Israel agreed to suspend its plan to annex the occupied West Bank. The agreement was also opposed by regional power Iran, which has been opposed by the UAE, Israel and The United States sees a significant threat in the Middle East.
