US announces plans to sell F-35 jets to United Arab Emirates

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C) shakes hands with an unidentified UAE official upon his arrival at al-Bateen Air Base in Abu Dhabi

Credit: Reuters

The United States has announced plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates as an apparent reward for the Gulf state agreeing to normalise ties with Israel. 

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, announced on Tuesday that he was notifying Congress of the sale as part of a wider arms deal worth $23bn (£17bn). 

“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," Mr Pompeo said in a statement.

Israeli officials have previously shown concern that the deal, which would make the UAE the first Arab state to possess F-35s, would lead to them losing their military edge in the region. 

But Mr Pompeo stressed that the move would be “fully consistent” with allowing Israel to maintain its military advantage. 

The arms sale would also give the UAE 18 advanced armour drone systems, as well as air-to-ground and air-to-air munitions. 

It comes after the UAE and Bahrain signed normalisation treaties with Israel — known as the Abraham Accords — on the lawn of the White House in September, opening the door to direct flights, embassies in each capital and enhanced trade. 

A key factor that brought the two Gulf states to the table was mutual security concerns about Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East. 

Emirati officials have also said they signed up to the peace deal to assist Palestinian leaders, as it would delay Israeli plans to annex up to the 30 per cent of the West Bank. 

However, the Palestinians have condemned the accord as a “stab in the back” that undermines their hopes of creating their own state. 

Mr Pompeo added, in reference to the arms deal: "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," 

"Our adversaries, especially those in Iran, know this and will stop at nothing to disrupt this shared success."