Blinken characterized the review as routine.
“We think that normalizing Israel’s relations with its neighbor and other countries in the region is a very positive development,” Blinken told reporters. “We are also trying to make sure that we have a full understanding of any commitments that may have been made to secure these deals, and that is something that we are looking at now.
“Generally speaking, when it comes to arms sales, it is typical at the beginning of a government to review sales pending issues to make sure that what is being considered is something that advances our strategic objectives and advances our foreign policy,” he added. .
UAE replies: The Biden government’s review of the sale of the F-35 was expected, argued Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the United States. But he said the package amounts to “much more than selling military equipment to a partner”.
“Like the US, it allows the United Arab Emirates to maintain a strong deterrent to aggression. In parallel with a new security dialogue and cooperation, it helps to reassure regional partners,” said Otaiba. on a Twitter topic posted by the embassy. “This also allows the UAE to take more of the regional burden for collective security, freeing US assets for other global challenges, a longstanding bipartisan priority for the United States.”
Preventive movement: At least one major defense contractor is already preparing for Biden to cancel some arms deals. Raytheon Technologies executives said on Tuesday in a quarterly earnings conference call that the company removed a potential sale of $ 519 million to a Middle Eastern ally from its books, in anticipation of the deal being blocked.
Bipartisan concerns: The Trump administration’s accelerated arms sales to Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been attacked on Capitol Hill, although attempts by lawmakers to stop them have been insufficient.
While the sale of F-35s to the United Arab Emirates attracted bipartisan scrutiny – both Democrats and Republicans were concerned that the sale could erode Israel’s military advantage in the Middle East – legislation to block $ 23 billion in sales of F-35s, Reaper drones and missiles for the Gulf nation died in the Senate floor in December.
‘It’s not a blank check’: Meanwhile, ten House Democrats are pressing Blinken to move quickly to adjust the US-Saudi Arabia relationship, including freezing and reviewing arms sales that contribute to the kingdom’s war in Yemen.
“American support for the Kingdom is not a blank check and Saudi Arabia must understand that we will no longer ignore actions incompatible with American interests and values to preserve a relationship that, in recent years, has served Saudi interests more than it has served ours. “, lawmakers wrote in a letter first reported by HuffPost.
“The first actions of the Biden government that reinforce a message already transmitted by large bipartisan majorities in Congress will help us to build a more balanced, healthy and principled relationship with the Kingdom,” they added.
The letter, obtained by POLITICO, was signed by several leading Democrats in the House, including President of Foreign Affairs Gregory Meeks (DN.Y.), President of Armed Services Adam Smith (D-Wash.) And President of Intelligence Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
More questions: In addition to freezing arms sales, lawmakers also urged the government to press for Saudi accountability for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including the release of a non-confidential intelligence report describing the Saudi government’s guilt.
Lawmakers also called on the Biden government to reverse the Trump administration’s designation of the Houthis in Yemen as a foreign terrorist and to push for the release of American citizens arbitrarily detained by the Saudi government.