WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – United States President Joe Biden has recognized the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a “major defense partner”, deepening military ties despite friction over the war in Sudan and as deadly tensions ratchet in the Middle East.
The announcement, which came following 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 gave India the designation in 2021.
In a statement, the White House said the designation would “further enhance defense cooperation and security in the Middle East, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean regions”.
It added that it would also “allow for unprecedented cooperation through joint training, exercises, and military-to-military collaboration, between the military forces of the United States, the UAE, and India, as well as other common military partners, in furtherance of regional stability”.
The meeting came as the Zionist regime stepped up its attacks on Lebanon. 
“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return to their home safely,” Biden told reporters during a photo opportunity in the Oval Office.
A U.S. State Department official, speaking to reporters on background on Monday, also said that U.S. officials would be discussing “concrete ideas” for an “off-ramp” on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week. Washington has been regularly criticized for avoiding using its leverage – including the billions in military aid it provides to the Zionist regime – to calm tensions in the region.
On Gaza, the two leaders “underscored their commitment to continue working together towards ending the conflict” and the need for UN humanitarian aid to be allowed into the enclave, the White House said. To date, at least 41,431 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza amid a nearly yearlong Israeli aggression.
Washington has long viewed the Persian Gulf country as integral to any post-war recovery plans in Gaza.
The White House said Biden and Al Nahyan discussed “a path to stabilization and recovery that responds to the humanitarian crisis, establishes law and order, and lays the groundwork for responsible governance” as well as their “commitment to a solution” for Palestine.