U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper pledged to help maintain Israel's military superiority in the Middle East, amid its concerns over a possible US sale of F-35 fighters to the United Arab Emirates.
"A cornerstone of our defense relationship is preserving Israel's qualitative military edge in the region," Esper said as he welcomed Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz to the Pentagon.
"The United States is committed to that, and the Department of Defense is committed to that imperative. We will continue to support the longstanding US policy to maintain Israel's security," the AFP cited Esper as saying.
At the Pentagon, Gantz stressed the importance of the US-Israel partnership in the "unstable" Middle East region, and said the relationship goes beyond "QME".
"As I always said, we have no other United States, nor do you have any other Israel," he said.
"We will continue those relations into the future. And we see those relations as a privilege, but also as a necessity, a continued necessity," Gantz said.
