00:00Is Saudi Arabia's push for defense diversification now signaling the end of unchallenged U.S. jet
00:05dominance in the kingdom's armed forces? Will Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman snub Trump's
00:11promises and embrace a NATO nation's advanced jets as a way to check both Israel and the UAE?
00:16Is MBS playing the Ankara card strategically, using Turkey's KAN offer to put serious pressure
00:22on Washington for a better F-35 bargain? Could the Netanyahu factor be casting a long shadow
00:27over the Saudi-U.S. defense pact, making Riyadh doubt whether Trump will deliver on his word?
00:33Is Washington now genuinely worried that Turkey could be cutting into its multi-billion dollar
00:38defense pie in the Middle East? Turkey's push to rise in the global arms export market has
00:43reportedly ruffled feathers in Washington, creating new tensions within NATO. The NATO nation is
00:49reportedly close to finalizing a major weapons deal with Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. Arab ally in the
00:54region. Riyadh is seeking to acquire Turkey's KAN fifth-generation fighter jets in a deal that is
01:00being closely watched by American officials. Middle East Eye claimed U.S. officials are worried
01:05about Saudi Arabia keeping its options open on defense suppliers beyond Washington. Washington
01:10has reportedly sought clarity from Riyadh on why it is pursuing arms deals with other nations while
01:15also negotiating with the U.S. A U.S. official told Middle East Eye that Saudi Arabia dropped its plan
01:20to buy Pakistan's JF-17 jets after pressure from Washington. However, Riyadh has given Washington
01:26no similar confirmation or reassurances about abandoning its interest in Turkish KAN fighters,
01:32according to reports. Donald Trump is reportedly concerned that his Arab ally may no longer see
01:37the United States as its sole provider for advanced arms. In February 2026, Turkey's President Edouan
01:50said a KAAN investment deal with Saudi Arabia was nearing completion and could be signed at any moment.
01:56A full-scale Turkish KAAN model was also reportedly on display at Riyadh's World Defense Show,
02:02complete with a Saudi flag emblem. A breaking defense report cited by Middle East Eye claimed Saudi
02:07Arabia is eyeing between 20 and 50 KAN warplanes from Turkey. Not just KAN. Riyadh may also
02:13reportedly seek to purchase F-35 fighter jets from the U.S., balancing multiple suppliers and
02:19capabilities. Defense experts believe Riyadh may be looking for options beyond the U.S. due to
02:24uncertainty created by Trump and Netanyahu's competing priorities. In 2025, Trump publicly promised
02:30Saudi Crown Prince MBS that the F-35 fighters he would receive would be as advanced as Israel's.
02:35However, Israel reportedly insists on maintaining its qualitative military edge over Arab neighbors,
02:41a long-standing U.S. policy commitment. Despite Trump's promise to MBS, U.S. Secretary of State
02:47Marco Rubio allegedly made a different statement that aligned more with Israeli concerns. Netanyahu claimed
02:53that Rubio assured him Saudi Arabia would receive a downgraded or inferior version of the F-35 instead of
02:59the top-tier model. During MBS's last visit to Washington, Trump publicly admitted that Israel
03:04had actively lobbied against providing Saudi Arabia with advanced F-35s. Defense analysts believe Saudi
03:10Arabia may be using the Turkey-KAN deal as leverage to push for a better F-35 deal from the
03:15U.S.
03:16Hesham al-Ghanem, the director-general of Naif Arab University in Riyadh said to Middle East Eye and I
03:21quote, Saudi Arabia's interest in the TAI, Turkish Aerospace Industries, con is about having more
03:28choices, not replacing the United States, because this isn't possible. But if the U.S. administration
03:34sees arms sales as a competition, it might view this move as a sign that Saudi Arabia is drifting away.
03:40To be frank, the pace of U.S. engagement on deep, structured co-production and transfer remains
03:45perceived as slower than Saudi aspirations, which will certainly prompt Riyadh to continue exploring
03:51partnerships that are often more flexible on local production and knowledge-sharing.
03:55If Saudi Arabia feels pressured to choose one partner over others,
03:59that kind of pressure might push Riyadh to strengthen ties with alternative suppliers instead.
04:11Israel's increasingly close ties with the United Arab Emirates have also reportedly set alarm bells
04:16ringing for Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince MBS reportedly sought to pressure the UAE to stop backing the
04:21Sudanese army in the ongoing Sudan civil war. MBS also lobbied Trump against Abu Dhabi for playing
04:27what he sees as a destabilizing role in Sudan's civil war, Middle East Eye reported. Riyadh is also
04:33reportedly wary that Trump may not follow through with the F-35 deal and could cave to Israeli pressure at
04:38the last moment.
05:13but it is his biggest trick in the future of the F-35 story Al Jernמה is only getting
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