NEW YORK – The United States has approved a $7 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates amid ongoing regional tensions which started after the US and Israel attacked Iran, according to reports from American media.
The deal includes approximately $5.6 billion worth of Patriot missiles and $1.3 billion in advanced combat helicopters.
The Trump administration had previously announced arms sales worth $16.5 billion to three other Gulf countries.
The announcement comes shortly after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which the leaders discussed recent attacks by Iran and the overall tense situation in the region.
Both leaders condemned attacks on civilians and key installations in the UAE, emphasizing the need for regional security and stability.
Meanwhile, drone attacks have targetted Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery, causing several fires, state media said. No causalities have been reported so far.
“The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery… was subjected early today to several hostile drone attacks, causing fires in some of its units,” the official Kuwait News Agency said, adding that “several refinery units were shut down”.
Furthermore, the CEO of Qatar Energy, Saad Al-Kaabi, has stated that recent Iranian attacks have cut Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity by 17 percent for the next five years.
In an interview with an international news agency, Al-Kaabi said the attacks damaged facilities responsible for producing 17 percent of Qatar’s export LNG. Repairs are expected to take three to five years and could cost around $26 billion.
He added that Qatar may have to temporarily suspend LNG supply contracts with Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China, as such provisions are already included in the agreements.
Al-Kaabi warned that the situation could become a major crisis not only for Qatar but also for the global energy market, noting that Qatar is the world’s largest LNG exporter.
