The Biden government on Wednesday halted U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia – one of several measures to deal with Trump-era foreign policies.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who was confirmed as the country’s top diplomat on Tuesday, described to reporters some of the government’s immediate priorities at a news conference on Wednesday.
Blinken said that arms sales to the two Arab countries, announced shortly after election day, will be reviewed to determine whether they are in line with US national security objectives.
Affected by the suspension is the transfer of $ 23 billion of F-35 stealth fighters to the United Arab Emirates.
Some fear that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will use US advanced weapons to continue the Saudi-led war in Yemen, risking further civilian deaths in the country.
Blinken expressed the most serious concern about another foreign policy implemented in the last days of the Trump administration, which designates Yemen’s Houthi rebels as terrorists.
“We are examining this very urgently and closely,” Blinken told reporters.
Critics are concerned that the designation of a terrorist, which includes strict U.S. sanctions, further inflames Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.
The US-Russia relationship will face a comprehensive review, according to Blinken.
And the Biden government also wants to delve deep into the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban signed almost a year ago.
“We need to understand exactly what is in the agreement,” said Blinken, before the government can decide how to move forward.
The deal was struck to try to pull all American troops out of Afghanistan by May 2021, after almost 20 years of war.
The Biden government has asked that Zalmay Khalilzad, Trump’s special envoy to Afghanistan, remain on board so that he can “continue the vital work he is doing,” Blinken said.
Regarding Iran, Blinken said the government is prepared to ease the sanctions that the Trump administration has re-imposed, as long as the country returns to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement.
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