UAE threatens Washington to withdraw from F-35, drones deal worth $23 billion

SANAA, Dec. 15 (YPA) – The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the UAE threatened the United States to withdraw from the F-35 and drones deal worth $23 billion.

The newspaper quoted officials in Washington that the UAE government told US officials that it intended to terminate the deal because Abu Dhabi believed that the security requirements set by the United States to protect high-tech weapons from Chinese espionage were “too onerous”.

The newspaper added that it was not yet clear whether the arms deal, which was signed in the final days of the Trump administration, was actually canceled, or that the Emirati threat was just a negotiating move on the eve of a high-ranking Emirati military delegation visiting the Pentagon for two days of talks.

According to the newspaper, US officials are “increasingly concerned about China’s influence inside the UAE”, which prompted them to “set conditions that would ensure that fifth-generation fighter jets and advanced drones would not be vulnerable to Chinese espionage.”

E.M