U.S. F-35 diplomacy reshapes Middle East alliances

Washington has turned sales of the Lockheed Martin F‑35 Lightning II into a tool of coercive diplomacy in the Middle East. The United States cites its legal obligation to maintain Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge, using the aircraft as a reward for aligned partners and a penalty for those moving toward rivals such as Russia or China.

Under the Abraham Accords, the United States promised to sell 50 F‑35s to the United Arab Emirates, but the deal stalled after Washington demanded the UAE dismantle its Huawei‑based 5G network, fearing data leakage to Beijing. The refusal froze the agreement, illustrating how the jet serves as leverage in broader geopolitical contests.

Turkey, a founding partner in the F‑35 program, was expelled in 2019 after purchasing Russia’s S‑400 air‑defence system, which the Pentagon argued could compromise the aircraft’s stealth technology. Recent NATO summit talks have signalled a possible softening, with U.S. officials hinting at a path to re‑integrate Turkey into the programme to keep it within the Western defence architecture.