Despite the Biden administration's efforts to hold down the sale of powerful F-35 stealth fighter fighters to the United Arab Emirates, a senior American official supervising arms exports stated Tuesday that the US remained "totally committed."
At the Dubai Air Show, Mira Resnick, a deputy US assistant secretary of state in the Biden administration, told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab allies are not looking to buy Russian weaponry as a hedge against American worries about human rights in the region.
A high-level Russian team met with Abu Dhabi's strong crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Tuesday at the air show, which highlighted the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate, Moscow's challenger to the F-35.
"Whether it's Israelis flying the F-35 or American F-35s, the F-35 is already in this region," Resnick added. "We'd like the UAE to be able to operate the F-35 in a way that allows them to be our security partners and prevent threats, notably from Iran," says the Pentagon.
The proposed sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets came at the end of President Donald Trump's presidency, following an agreement in which the UAE recognised Israel. The Emirates, a hereditarily ruled federation of seven sheikhdoms that includes Dubai, wanted armed drones and other defensive equipment as part of the $23 billion contract.
President Joe Biden's new administration put the weaponry deal and others on hold when he took office. That was in part due to criticism of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for their years-long war in Yemen, which has resulted in the world's worst humanitarian disaster and continues to this day.
The F-35 is only flown in the region by Israel, as part of its so-called "qualitative edge" awarded by America after Israel fought multiple wars against its Arab neighbours since its founding.
Israel and other allies have expressed no worries about the F-35 sale to the Emirates, according to Resnick.
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