Turkey has reportedly struck a deal to sell its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to a Gulf state, in a move that could pave the way for Ankara’s return to the U.S. F-35 program after years of CAATSA-related exclusion and storage of the systems over NATO interoperability concerns. Moscow says it is in sensitive talks with Turkey on the issue, while potential buyers such as the UAE and Qatar have yet to confirm the transfer and Israel is watching nervously as a rival’s firepower and status inside the Western camp could shift.