F-35: Washington’s Trap to Draw bin Salman into Normalization Process
The English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and Al Mayadeen, reported that just days before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s trip to Washington, Reuters revealed the U.S. Department of Defense has approved an advanced stage in a possible deal to sell 48 stealth F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia.
According to American sources, Saudi Arabia submitted its request directly to then-President Donald Trump earlier this year. After extensive review, the Pentagon completed its technical evaluation and forwarded the file to the Secretary of Defense-awaiting approval from both the management and Congress.
Although no final decision has been made, progress on this case reportedly accelerated ahead of Mohammed bin salman’s visit.
While Arab states have long been notable purchasers of American arms, they have traditionally been denied access to specialized and advanced U.S. equipment due largely to Israeli opposition aimed at preserving regional deterrence balances. Against this backdrop and wiht one key goal of bin Salman’s Washington trip being advancement toward normalizing ties with Israel, political analysts suggest Washington may be leveraging this contract as an incentive for Riyadh’s engagement in normalization talks with Tel aviv.
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth expressed concern over these reports,stating that Israel fears such a deal could undermine its “air superiority,” which guides U.S. arms policy in the region.
The paper further noted that this potential sale is part of broader negotiations through which Saudi Arabia seeks a comprehensive defense agreement with the United States-covering security guarantees and civilian nuclear cooperation.
Yedioth Ahronoth described this move as a significant shift from longstanding U.S. policy that had avoided selling advanced fighter jets outside formal normalization agreements with israel for decades.
The reports come as both the White House and Pentagon have declined comment on these developments. Lockheed Martin emphasized that if made, any deal would be “solely an agreement between two governments.”
The focus by Israeli media combined with thier restrained criticism suggests coordinated efforts by Washington and Tel Aviv aim to use this strategic contract as leverage-to entice Saudi arabia into normalization talks while managing regional security concerns. A similar dynamic occurred during normalization between Israel and the UAE under the Abraham Accords: even though Abu Dhabi secured promises for F-35 purchases years ago alongside diplomatic progressions with Israel, it still has not received any jets nor faces clear prospects for their delivery after more than five years.
