Abu Dhabi Requested Sale of F-35 Jets Before Pact With Israel, UAE Foreign Minister Says

Abu Dhabi requested the sale of F-35 fighter jets before its pact with Israel, the UAE’s foreign minister said in a statement.

According to the minister, the UAE is looking forward to upgrading its fleet of fighters with F-35 jets.

The foreign minister continued by saying that the UAE calls on the Palestinian Authority to refrain from leaving the negotiating table after criticism of the agreement with Israel.

The UAE plans to set up an embassy in Tel Aviv following the historic pact with Israel, the minister added.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump said during a press briefing that the UAE, which has agreed to a peace deal with Israel, would like to buy the Lockheed McDonnell-Douglas F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and that Washington is already reviewing the possibility of selling it to them. Trump also stated that Saudi Arabia would like to join the peace agreement between Israel and the UAE.

Trump added that if other countries in the Middle East eventually join the peace accord, then he would expect Iran to join as well.

In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has labelled reports that the United States would be selling the F-35 to the UAE as "fake news", noting that Israel's deal with the country did not include Tel Aviv's consent to any arms deals between Abu Dhabi and Washington.

The remarks come in light of the recently achieved agreement that will see Israel and the UAE fully normalise relations and establish diplomatic ties. The deal, brokered by the United States, also stipulates that Israel will suspend its plans to extend sovereignty over parts of the West Bank. The two countries plan to establish embassies and commence direct flights.