Trump says he will approve sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

United States President Donald Trump says he will greenlight the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, signalling a departure in how Washington handles sophisticated weapons transfers to Arab countries.

Trump made the announcement on Monday at the White House, just one day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is due to visit. “We’ll be selling F-35s”, the president told reporters, lauding Washington’s ties with Riyadh.

&nbsp, “Yeah, I am planning on doing it. They want to buy them. They’ve been a great ally”, Trump said.

The decision marks a substantial win for Riyadh as Trump works to persuade Saudi Arabia to establish official ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.

But Saudi officials have repeatedly reasserted the kingdom’s commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions recognition of Israel on the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.

The potential arms deal between Washington and Riyadh raises questions about preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge, which is enshrined in US law. Some Israeli officials have already voiced opposition to the transfer of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia.

The US has a decades-old commitment of ensuring Israel retains superior military capabilities over potential regional adversaries.

The principle, first established under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and formally adopted by President Ronald Reagan, has guided American arms sales in the Middle East for more than four decades.

Every US administration since has pledged to preserve Israel’s ability to emerge victorious against any likely combination of regional forces.

The F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is widely regarded as the world’s most advanced fighter jet, featuring technology that makes it difficult for enemy defences to detect.

Critics in Israel have warned the sale could erode the country’s longstanding military superiority in the region.

Yair Golan, an opposition politician and former deputy chief of the Israeli army, said the move risked opening “an arms race in the Middle East” that could undermine advantages Israel has held for decades. He also blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as being “failure-prone”.

Golan claimed that “the qualitative military edge that has been a key component of Israel’s security for many decades is being wasted.”

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the head of Israel’s national security, added that Israel must carry on the region’s aerial superiority.

We are not perplexed because we are in the Middle East. Anyone who truly wishes to extend a hand without harming the State of Israel must be assured of their superiority, he told the Jewish News Syndicate on Monday.

The US administration’s efforts to strengthen ties with Riyadh as part of its wider Middle East strategy are highlighted by the timing of Trump’s announcement, which comes just before Prince Mohammed’s visit to the White House.

Washington has historically managed to address concerns about Israel’s military advantage by downgrading weapons and providing it with upgraded equipment and upgrades.

Prince Mohammed’s visit coincides with the shaky ceasefire in Gaza, which is being closely watched by Israelis.

Trump invoked the US attack on Iran in June, which he claimed “obliterated” the nation’s nuclear facilities on Monday when asked about a potential F-35 deal with Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia did not participate in those strikes, but Prince Mohammed was informed on Monday that Masoud Pezeshkian, the country’s official news agency, had received a handwritten letter from him before going to Washington, without giving specifics about its contents.

Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab member of the F-35 program if the deal is made.

After Abu Dhabi agreed to form formal ties with Israel, Trump approved the sale of F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates in 2020. However, the agreement was voided in 2021 when Joe Biden assumed the role of president because US lawmakers were concerned about the technology’s security.

The president’s and his secretary of state have the authority to veto authorized weapon sales by the US Congress.