U.S. Urged to Approve Gulf Fighter Deal

WASHINGTON—The White House is dragging its feet in approving a major sale of jet fighters to Gulf states, a delay that threatens to harm Washington’s relationship with them as it seeks Arab allies to fight Islamic State and curb Iran’s influence in the region, according to a bipartisan group of senators who are urging that the deal proceed.

The sale of the fighters to Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain has been pending for more than two years, but the White House hasn’t yet allowed it to move forward. It has been tied up, in part, because of long-standing federal policies that require the U.S. to maintain a military advantage for Israel in the Middle East and avoid sales to regional partners that could undermine that advantage, according to U.S. officials and industry sources.

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