The United States plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to the UAE under the F23B arms deal

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration formally announced to Congress on Tuesday that it plans to sell 50 pirated F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates as part of a $ 23 billion broad arms deal aimed at preventing potential threats from Iran. Israel.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he approved the sale in line with the administration’s Middle East peace efforts. The announcement was made to lawmakers following the signing of the Abrahamic Agreements between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, under which the Arab states have agreed to normalize relations with Israel.

“This is in recognition of our deep relationship and the United Arab Emirates’ need for advanced defense capabilities to defend itself against threats from Iran,” Pompeo said in a statement.

Israeli officials have previously expressed some concerns about the sale of the F-35 because it could affect the balance of military power in the region. But Pompeo said it was “fully compatible” with Israel’s long – standing policy of maintaining quality military advantage.

. The sale, which is worth up to Rs 23.37 billion, includes 50 F-35s, 18 advanced weapons drone systems and air-to-air and ground-to-air weapons.

“The United Arab Emirates’ historic agreement to normalize relations with Israel under the Abrahamic agreements provides a generational opportunity to positively transform the region’s strategic landscape,” Pompeo said. “Our enemies, especially those in Iran, are aware of this and will do nothing to disrupt this shared victory.”

After agreeing to normalize relations with Israel in August, Emirati officials said the purchase of F-35s was one of their main goals. Israeli officials at the time denied that they had agreed to the sale, but later dropped public objections to it.

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The story was corrected to put the total amount of the arms deal at $ 23 billion in one paragraph.