UAE to ask Trump to revive F-35 deal if re-elected: Reuters
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The United Arab Emirates will supposedly try to revive a deal on F-35 fighter jets if the former US president is re-elected.
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A US Air Force F-35 flies past at the Farnborough International Air Show in Farnborough, England, on July 22, 2024. (AP)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is poised to revive a multi-billion dollar agreement with the US for advanced F-35 fighter jets and armed drones should Donald Trump secure a second term as president in the upcoming November election, according to several sources cited by Reuters.
The UAE has been seeking to acquire the cutting-edge F-35 aircraft, and if the transfer is approved, the UAE would become only the second party in the Middle East, after the Israeli occupation, to operate these advanced jets.
Former President Trump had authorized the $23 billion deal during his final days in office in 2021. This package also included MQ-9 Reaper drones and other munitions.
The agreement followed the UAE's normalization of ties with the Israeli occupation in 2020 under US brokerage. The agreement made the UAE the first country in the region to normalize ties with the Israeli occupation in three decades.
However, talks between the UAE and the Biden administration stalled by the end of 2021, with the UAE citing concerns over "sovereign operational restrictions." Despite the Biden administration's willingness to move forward, the process has remained on hold.
Three sources indicated that, if Trump is re-elected, the UAE intends to revisit the discussions, asking a new Trump administration to "honor" the original 2021 deal. One source specifically mentioned that the UAE would press for the fulfillment of the agreement signed during Trump’s presidency.
When approached about whether the UAE would push a future Trump administration to move ahead with the deal, a UAE official neither confirmed nor denied the claim.
Instead, the official emphasized that Abu Dhabi has developed long-standing institutional relationships and an enduring partnership with Washington that spans multiple US administrations.
Trump campaign's national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that a second Trump presidency would "once again deliver peace through strength to rebuild and expand the peace coalition he built in his first term to create long-term safety and security in the Middle East and around the world."
UAE suspends F-35 purchase
The United Arab Emirates suspended in December 2021 the purchase of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
The UAE suspended talks on a $23 billion deal to buy fifty F-35 jets, in addition to drones and advanced munitions. The decision came because of the onerous US restrictions designed to protect against alleged Chinese espionage.
A US administration official told reporters that the two sides are still working out concerns about the contract, including some requests made by the UAE during Trump's presidency.
