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Trump threatens to veto any Congress effort to scupper UAE arms sale
Congress is set to vote on a massive $23 billion UAE arms sale.
2 min read
Trump is hoping to push through the UAE arms deal [Getty]
US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that he will veto any attempts by Congress to block a massive arms sale to the UAE.
The $23 billion arms sale to the UAE will include fighter jets, drones, and weaponry, but has faced criticism from some Democrats due to Abu Dhabi's role in the war in Yemen and human rights abuses.
Other politicians are concerned that the sale of state-of-the-art F-35s to the UAE would undermine the US' commitment to maintaining Israel's military edge over Arab states.
The Israeli ambassador to Washington this week said his country agreed with the sale, which should further ease through the deal.
Congress will vote on Wednesday on whether to issue a disapproval of the arms sale to the UAE, which includes 50 F-35s, thousands of bombs, and the second biggest US sale of drones to another country, Reuters reported.
The White House warned that on Wednesday that it would veto any attempt by Congress to block the $23 billion sale, saying it bolsters US foreign policy and national security by "enabling the UAE to deter increasing Iranian aggressive behavior and threats".
It follows the UAE's recent normalisation deal with Israel, strengthening and making public a long-standing clandestine partnership on regional security issues.
The $23 billion arms sale to the UAE will include fighter jets, drones, and weaponry, but has faced criticism from some Democrats due to Abu Dhabi's role in the war in Yemen and human rights abuses.
Other politicians are concerned that the sale of state-of-the-art F-35s to the UAE would undermine the US' commitment to maintaining Israel's military edge over Arab states.
The Israeli ambassador to Washington this week said his country agreed with the sale, which should further ease through the deal.
Congress will vote on Wednesday on whether to issue a disapproval of the arms sale to the UAE, which includes 50 F-35s, thousands of bombs, and the second biggest US sale of drones to another country, Reuters reported.
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The White House warned that on Wednesday that it would veto any attempt by Congress to block the $23 billion sale, saying it bolsters US foreign policy and national security by "enabling the UAE to deter increasing Iranian aggressive behavior and threats".
It follows the UAE's recent normalisation deal with Israel, strengthening and making public a long-standing clandestine partnership on regional security issues.
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