The United States and the United Arab Emirates are strengthening military cooperation as tensions in the Middle East over the Gaza war escalate and despite friction over the war in Sudan.
US President Joe Biden has recognised the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a “major defence partner”, deepening military ties despite friction over the war in Sudan and as deadly tensions escalate in the Middle East.
Monday’s announcement, which came after a White House meeting between Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, makes the UAE only the second country to receive the designation. The Biden administration had granted the designation to India in 2021.
In a statement, the White House said the designation would “further strengthen defense and security cooperation in the Middle East, East Africa and Indian Ocean regions.”
She added that it would also enable “unprecedented cooperation through joint training, exercises and military collaborations between the militaries of the United States, the United Arab Emirates and India, as well as other joint military partners, to promote regional stability.”
The meeting comes as Israel intensifies its attacks on Lebanon. At least 492 people, including 35 children, were killed Monday in Israeli attacks on the territory that it said targeted Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
“My team is in constant contact with our counterparts and we are working to de-escalate the situation in a way that allows people to return home safely,” Biden told reporters during a photo opportunity in the Oval Office.
A U.S. State Department official, speaking to reporters Monday, also said U.S. officials would discuss “concrete ideas” for a “way out” on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week. Washington has been repeatedly criticized for not using its leverage — including the billions in military aid it provides to Israel — to ease tensions in the region.
On Gaza, the two leaders “underscored their commitment to continue working together to end the conflict” and the need for U.N. humanitarian aid to be allowed into the enclave, the White House said. At least 41,431 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far in an Israeli offensive that has lasted nearly a year.
The UAE has played a leading role in the UN Security Council, proposing resolutions condemning Israel’s war on Gaza, often putting it in conflict with the US veto power.
Yet Washington has long viewed the Gulf country as a vital part of any post-war reconstruction plan for Gaza.
The White House said Biden and Al Nahyan discussed “a path to stabilization and recovery that addresses the humanitarian crisis, establishes law and order, and lays the foundation for accountable governance” as well as their “commitment to the two-state solution” for Israel and Palestine.
Conflict in Sudan
Monday’s designation comes despite friction over the United Arab Emirates’ alleged role in the war in Sudan.
The United Arab Emirates has been accused of supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been engaged in a bloody civil war with the Sudanese army since April last year.
Both sides have been accused of abuses during the fighting, which has displaced more than 10.7 million people and forced 2.3 million others to flee the country, according to the UN.
Ahead of the White House meeting, five U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to Biden calling on him to use Washington’s influence to seek a change of course.
According to the White House statement, the leaders discussed the conflict and “underscored that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Sudan.” They also “emphasized that all parties to the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law,” it added.
In a separate meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates, US Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris “expressed deep concerns about the conflict in Sudan,” the White House said.
“She expressed her concern about the millions of people displaced by the war and the atrocities committed by the belligerents against the civilian population,” the statement said.
