The Trump administration is set to reassess a non-binding agreement that regarded US Reaper drones as long-range missiles, as part of a broader overhaul of US foreign military sales, a US official told Middle East Eye.

The decision could speed up the timeline for deliveries of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, all of which are eyeing the weapons system. It would reduce bureaucracy for arms manufacturers that have to wait for government approval before selling drones.

Reuters first reported that the Trump administration was set to reinterpret how it classifies drones under the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Congress was set to be briefed on the new regime this week.

The MTCR is a non-binding agreement among 35 countries. It is not a treaty and therefore, the administration has a broader scope to change how it interprets US obligations under it.

In 2020, during his first term in office, Trump relaxed how the US classifies drones under MTCR. The current move, MEE understands, would expand on that. According to Reuters, the US will designate drones as aircraft.