Trump administration approves $23 billion weapons package for UAE

The outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress of its approval to sell the United Arab Emirates (UAE) $23.4 billion in weapons, including dozens of F-35 fighter jets and armed drones.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement on Tuesday, despite a declared congressional effort to secure Israel's "qualitative military edge” in the Middle East region.

The Trump administration has been working to advance Abu Dhabi’s longstanding request to buy the advanced weapons after the UAE and Israel signed a normalization agreement at the White House in September in what has been dubbed the Abraham Accords.

“This is in recognition of our deepening relationship and the UAE’s need for advanced defense capabilities to deter and defend itself against heightened threats from Iran,” Pompeo said in a statement announcing the approval.

“The UAE’s historic agreement to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to positively transform the region’s strategic landscape,” he added. “Our adversaries, especially those in Iran, know this and will stop at nothing to disrupt this shared success.”

The formal notification kicks off a 30-day period in which Congress can choose to pass legislation to block the sale. Some lawmakers have expressed concerns that selling the UAE advanced weaponry could undermine Washington’s commitment to maintain Israel’s so-called military superiority in the region.  

The sale announced on Tuesday includes about 50 F-35s, with an estimated value of $10.4 billion.

Israel initially tried to stop the prospective sale but last month ended its opposition after getting so-called US guarantees that Israeli military superiority would be preserved.

Israel said that any deal must satisfy an old agreement between Washington and Tel Aviv that any American weapons sold in the Middle East region must not weaken Israel's "qualitative military edge.”

"We all face a common threat," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters last month when asked about reports of the impending UAE jet sale.

Pompeo said in his statement on Tuesday, “The proposed sale will make the UAE even more capable and interoperable with US partners in a manner fully consistent with America’s longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge.”

US Democratic senators introduce bill to restrict F-35 sales to UAE

Two Democratic lawmakers in the US senate have introduced a bill aimed at restricting Washington’s plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of a declared congressional bid to secure the Israeli regime

Under understandings dating back decades, Washington has refrained from Middle East arms sales that could blunt Israel’s “qualitative military edge.” This has applied to the F-35, denied to Arab states, while Israel has bought and deployed it.

Israel and the UAE in September reached a deal that will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two sides, in an agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Reports say that the driving factor for the UAE to sign the agreement with Israel has been a US weapons deal to the tune of tens of billions of dollars, including supplying F-35 jets, advanced UAVs and other arms.

A day after the normalization deal, Amos Yadlin, a former general in the Israeli air force and the ex-head of the Israeli military tweeted, "It is important to remember that Abu Dhabi seeks to acquire very sophisticated weapons from the United States."

Under pressure from Israel and the Israeli lobby in Washington, Congress had earlier blocked a plan for such a sale.

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