"We remain committed to move forward with (the sales of) both (F-35 jets and drones) if that's what the Emiratis are interested in doing. We want to make sure, for example, that our commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge is assured so we wanted to do a full review of any technologies that are sold or transferred to other partners in the region, including the UAE", said the top American diplomat.
He was responding to a question on the terms of the offer by the US that caused the UAE to "pull back" from the defence deal.
"We will always insist, as a matter of statutory requirements and policy, on a variety of end-user requirements. That's typical. And these end-user requirements and protection of US defence equipment are universal, non-negotiable, and not specific to the UAE", Kirby said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
He was responding to a question about the suspended defence deal.
"We took these American concerns into consideration and we stopped the work on the facilities", stated Gargash. He, however, added that the Chinese-built facility wasn't meant to be a "military base".