Sale of F-35 planes may “dramatically alter the military balance in the Gulf,” US lawmaker says (File)
Washington:
The United States has agreed to sell high-end F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates after recognizing Israel, which could shift the regional balance of power, a lawmaker said Thursday.
President Donald Trump’s administration has unofficially given mandatory notification to Congress about the sale, which could “significantly alter the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel’s military advantage,” said Representative Eliot Engel, a Democrat who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The UAE – which has increasingly asserted itself in the region, including Yemen and Libya – sought out advanced fighter jets as they spoke to the United States ahead of Israel’s historic recognition this month. latest.
Normalization – followed by similar moves by Bahrain and Sudan – was a diplomatic coup for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Jewish state has also long opposed US sales of high-end fighter jets to all Arab states, including Egypt and Jordan, which have peace treaties with Israel.
But Netanyahu indicated last week that Israel would not oppose the UAE deal after Defense Minister Benny Gantz, his worried coalition partner, received assurances during a trip to the Pentagon that he Israel would retain its military advantage.
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was visiting Israel on Thursday for talks with Gantz on building the US ally’s military capabilities.
A State Department official declined to confirm the deal with the UAE, saying he did not comment on notifications to Congress.
The notification comes five days before the U.S. election in which Trump lags behind in polls released by Democrat Joe Biden.
Congress, where Democrats control the House of Representatives and are seen as having a chance of winning the Senate, has the power to block the sale of the UAE.
“Exporting this aircraft requires very careful consideration and Congress needs to analyze all the ramifications. Accelerating these sales is in no one’s best interest,” Engel said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
