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UAE official says F-35 request 'legitimate,' not connected to Israel deal

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said an arms deal should be easier now that his country inked a deal to normalize ties with Israel.

Italian F35 fighter jets take part in the "Blue Flag" multinational air defence exercise at the Ovda air force base, north of the Israeli city of Eilat, on November 11, 2019. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Italian F-35 fighter jets take part in the "Blue Flag" multinational air defense exercise at the Ovda air force base, north of the Israeli city of Eilat, on Nov. 11, 2019. — JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

The United Arab Emirates’ desire to purchase the F-35 fighter jet is legitimate, a top Emirati official said Thursday, saying the military hardware should be easier to procure now that his country is normalizing ties with Israel

“This is something on the table,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said during a virtual event hosted by the Atlantic Council. “We have legitimate requests that are there. We ought to get them. The first time we made this request was six years ago.”

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