Un tournant stratégique majeur – Le Jeune Indépendant

The United States clears the way for the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, a strategic move for MBS. This transaction would call into question the principle of Tel Aviv’s military advantage. In the background there is also the question of a possible Israeli-Saudi rapprochement, still conditioned by MBS on guarantees on the Palestinian cause.

Donald Trump’s announcement, on the eve of Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) visit, set the tone: Washington is ready to deliver F-35s to Riyadh, an advance long coveted by the kingdom. The November 18 meeting formalized the presidential green light for a future “defense agreement”, subject to congressional approval, marking the crown prince’s first visit to the United States since the Khashoggi affair.

For MBS, the issue is crucial: to strengthen the modernization of its army and increase its deterrence capacity in a region in reorganization. F-35 against standardization The F-35, Lockheed Martin’s flagship, offers stealth, advanced sensors and interoperability with Western armies.

Riyadh would like to acquire 48 aircraft, a multi-billion dollar contract. Despite the relative appeasement with Tehran since 2023 and its gradual withdrawal from the war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia sees in these planes strategic assurance in the face of persistent regional tensions. Their possession would also bring the Saudi arsenal closer to that of Israel, the only country in the Middle East to currently have it. On the other hand, this sale would call into question the American principle of “Qualitative Military Edge”, which has guaranteed Israel’s technological military advantage for decades.

Tel Aviv has already expressed its opposition, recalling the Emirati precedent of 2020, where the project ultimately failed due to security constraints and suspicions of Chinese interference. Technological cooperation between Beijing and Riyadh could also slow down the agreement, a central concern for Washington. In the background, there is also the question of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Officially, MBS continues to condition any rapprochement on tangible progress towards a Palestinian state. However, some Israeli officials would like to link the sale of the F-35s to the establishment of diplomatic relations. The crown prince could thus rely on the provisions of the American “peace plan” adopted by the UN to justify a possible rapprochement with Israel.