US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Wednesday with the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the two “discussed the UAE’s historic opening with Israel, cooperation to defend the UAE against regional threats, and working together to lower tensions and end conflicts.” “The Secretary welcomed the progress made toward easing the rift with Qatar and emphasized the opportunities ahead for the UAE to make additional contributions towards a more peaceful Middle East,” added the spokesperson. Blinken tweeted about the conversation with the Emirati minister, writing, “Good conversation today with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. I look forward to working together to bring about a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.” The conversation between the two comes days after the Biden administration decided to halt the sale of F-35 jets to the UAE which was agreed upon in former President Donald Trump’s final day in office. Blinken explained last week that when it comes to arms sales, “It is typical at the start of an administration to review any pending sales, to make sure that what is being considered is something that advances our strategic objectives and advances our foreign policy, so that's what we're doing at this moment.” The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to Washington, Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, said this week he was confident the sale of F-35 jets to his country would go through after a review by Biden’s administration. “We did everything by the book and they will discover that once the review is complete and it will proceed,” he told a virtual Washington Institute forum, describing the review as “pro forma”. “Everything is still proceeding while undergoing a review at the same time. I am confident it will end up in the right place,” Otaiba added.
