In a rare dispute between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, the key US ally in the Persian Gulf has halted talks on a $23 billion agreement to buy American-made F-35 jets, armed drones, and other equipment. According to the report our correspondent in New York gathered, the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington stated that it would halt conversations with the US. The embassy also stated that other meetings between the two countries scheduled for this week at the Pentagon will take place as planned.The proposed sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets to the UAE came at the end of former President Donald Trump’s presidency, following an agreement in which the Emiratis signed a peace deal with Israel. After President Joe Biden took power, the deal was temporarily suspended because of the criticism of the UAE and Saudi Arabia for their decade-long war in Yemen, which led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Viewers Corner News correspondent learned that the contract includes 18 advanced drone systems as well as a package of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. United Arab Emirates officials accused the United States of imposing restrictions on how and where the F-35s can be employed, claiming that this is a breach of the UAE’s sovereignty. The US spokesperson, John Kirby, said that US demands for the employment of American-made military equipment are global, non-negotiable, and not targeted at the UAE.
Source: Viewers Corner News.