US President Joe Biden temporarily suspended arms trade deals with other countries started by his predecessor, Donald Trump, on Wednesday, including a deal to sell F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates. (UAE).
The new Administration is reviewing the sale of arms initiated under Trump’s command, but has not yet decided whether or not to proceed, a State Department spokesman explained to Efe, calling the action “routine” and “typical.” in any transition process.
The objective, explained that source, is that the new US leadership, including Biden and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, have “an opportunity to review” the pacts that the previous government had reached.
The spokesperson declined to specify which deals will be affected by this decision.
However, the sale to the UAE of military equipment worth $ 23.37 billion, including 50 F-35 fighter jets, is currently pending completion.
This type of US-made devices can be used in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, although they can also carry out bombings.
The UAE is a prominent Washington partner in the Gulf and a staunch enemy of Iran, against whom the Trump administration succeeded in uniting Israel and its Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia.
Trump’s decision to sell the F-35s to the Emirates, which the US had refused to do for years, coincided with the decision in September by the UAE and Bahrain to sign agreements to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, which which occurred in a historic ceremony at the White House with Trump.
The UAE and Bahrain were the first Arab countries to establish relations with the Israeli state after Egypt (in 1979) and Jordan (in 1994).
In addition, Israel has normalized relations with Morocco and Sudan, with whom, unlike the Persian Gulf states, it maintained a deep enmity for decades.
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