US Congress is intending to block the sales of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and restrict Washington’s backing for Saudi War on Yemen in the closing version of the fiscal 2019 defence bill. EurAsian Times shares the Iranian perspective.
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According to House Armed Services Committee senior aides, the Pentagon must first submit a report to the legislators about the “overall strategic alliance with Turkey,” all international military hardware sales to Ankara and their choice to purchase the Russian S-400 air-defence system, The Hill reported.
The move was made in spite of Defense Secretary James Mattis’s request. The Pentagon chief had urged legislators not to obstruct the sale of the F-35 Jets, contending that it could start a “supply chain disruption” and drive their price higher.
“At this time, I oppose removal of Turkey from the F-35 program,” Mattis wrote in a July 7 letter. “If the Turkish supply chain was disrupted today, it would result in an aircraft production break, delaying delivery of 50-75 F-35s, and would take approximately 18-24 months to re-source parts and recover.”
The final defence bill also confirms that the US is curbing refuelling of Saudi Arabian and UAE jets bombing poverty-stricken Yemen. According to a senior official, “Yemen remains an area of great interest and concern for our members, and we have aggressive oversight in the conference report.”
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