WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will tell lawmakers today that it won't declare Egypt's government overthrow a coup, U.S. officials said, allowing the United States to continue providing $1.5 billion in annual military and economic aid to the Arab world's most populous country.

William Burns, the State Department's No. 2 official, will hold closed-doors briefings with members of the House and Senate just a day after Washington delayed delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt. It was the first U.S. action since the military ousted Mohammed Morsi as president, imprisoned him and other Muslim Brotherhood members and suspended the constitution earlier this month.

The administration has been forced into difficult contortions to justify not declaring a coup d'etat, which would prompt the automatic suspension of American assistance programs under U.S. law. Washington fears that halting such funding could imperil programs that help to secure Israel's border and fight weapons smuggling into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, among other things seen as critical to U.S. national security.

It's unclear what specific arguments it will present Thursday, but the officials said Burns will explain how the administration has yet to make any coup determination and that it doesn't plan to do so in the future as Egypt moves to restore civilian governance and hold new democratic elections.

Many from both parties in Congress sympathize with the administration's view and the need to back a military that has safeguarded Egypt's peace with Israel for three decades.