The United Arab Emirates has suspended talks with the US over its $23bn deal to purchase as much as 50 F-35 fighter jets and different weapons in an indication of friction within the Gulf state’s relations with Washington.
An Emirati official mentioned Abu Dhabi had knowledgeable the US that “technical necessities, sovereign operational restrictions and cost-benefit evaluation led to the reassessment”.
The sale of the F-35s was initially agreed final yr by the Trump administration after the UAE signed an accord to normalise relations with Israel. However the deal has come underneath mounting scrutiny since President Joe Biden took workplace.