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During the first briefing on Wednesday, the new secretary of state said that the purpose of the review was “to ensure that the issues under consideration contribute to the implementation of our strategic objectives and the development of foreign policy,” reports aljazeera.com.
“That is what we are doing now,” Blinken told reporters.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Wednesday that the Joe Biden administration had temporarily frozen billions of dollars in arms and military equipment sales to those countries, including the sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia and the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.
That decision was made a week after Biden’s inauguration. The new US leader has promised to “reassess” relations between Washington and Riyadh. After becoming president, Biden signed a series of orders to review or overturn some of Trump’s most important decisions in various political areas.
Under Trump, relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were close, and the former US president loyally supported Israel and mounted a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.
2019 In May, Trump declared a state of national emergency over ongoing tensions with Iran to avoid congressional objections to the $ 8 billion. Arms sales worth USD to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Also in late December last year, the Trump administration sanctioned the sale of small ammunition to Saudi Arabia for 290 million. AMERICAN DOLLAR. In November, the Trump administration informed Congress that it had approved an agreement with the United Arab Emirates under which the United States would sell advanced weapons systems, including F-35 fighters and armed drones, for more than $ 23 billion. AMERICAN DOLLAR. This information was released shortly after the UAE government agreed to normalize relations with Israel through the United States.
“With this agreement, we highlight the growing relationship with the United Arab Emirates and recognize that the country needs advanced weaponry to defend itself against the growing threat posed by Iran,” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Advocacy groups have condemned the deal, saying it could exacerbate regional conflicts, particularly in Libya and Yemen, where the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have declared fierce war on Hutu rebels. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have also criticized the arms sales, claiming they “will lead to dangerous arms races.”
Lawmakers have tabled joint bipartisan resolutions to avoid the deal, but their efforts have failed in the US Senate: The required majority was not obtained in two procedural votes. Additionally, Trump threatened to veto any attempt by Congress to suspend the deal.
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