The United States has stepped up pressure on Saudi Arabia to renounce deals involving fighter jets from Pakistan and Turkey, amid concerns in Washington over the loss of space in the Saudi defense market.
The move comes in parallel with the confirmation of the sale of F-35 fighters to the Arab country and the signing of a broad military agreement between the two governments.
According to information published by Middle East Eye, US officials fear that supplier diversification could reduce US arms exports. Diplomats continue to ask Riyadh for clarification on the technical and military contacts maintained with other countries in the region, in particular Ankara and Islamabad.
Washington has already obtained guarantees that Saudi Arabia will not proceed with the purchase of the JF-17 fighter, developed by Pakistan. The possibility of offsetting Pakistani debts in exchange for the aircraft had been discussed, but was ultimately stopped after American pressure.
At the moment, the main US concern is a possible Saudi entry into Turkey’s KAAN fifth-generation fighter program. The Pentagon believes that the kingdom already has a significant fleet of F-15s and Eurofighter Typhoons and argues that any investment in the Turkish project could reduce the resources allocated to the acquisition of American military equipment, strengthening the White House’s interest in maintaining exclusivity in the supply of weapons to the Gulf ally.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: @TUSAS_EN | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
