Trump administration approves $24B sale of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department on Thursday approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, clearing a hurdle for Riyadh's long-standing effort to acquire the aircraft.

Details: The proposed sale includes 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, communications equipment, spare parts, software and other support equipment, according to a State Department statement. 

According to the statement, the sale “will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defense and improving interoperability with US forces and other regional and NATO forces.”

Why it matters: The approval marks another step toward making Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to acquire the F-35. The proposed sale must still proceed through the US Foreign Military Sales process, including formal notification to Congress and a 30-day congressional review period. Congress could seek to block the sale by passing a joint resolution of disapproval, though the president could veto it, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override.

The F-35 is a US-made, fifth-generation fighter aircraft developed by US defense giant Lockheed Martin. For Saudi Arabia, the jets would add capabilities beyond those of its existing fleet of F-15s and Eurofighter Typhoons.

President Donald Trump first announced in November 2025 that the US would sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia ahead of a White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

Crown Prince Mohammed has sought the aircraft for years as Riyadh has looked to upgrade its military capabilities. The previous US administration under President Joe Biden also discussed the possibility of providing the kingdom with the jets as part of broader negotiations over a US-Saudi security arrangement and potential Saudi-Israeli normalization. Those talks ultimately stalled following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

Know more: In Washington, concerns over China’s ties with Saudi Arabia have become a key obstacle in discussions over a potential F-35 sale to Riyadh. The New York Times reported Wednesday that US intelligence officials had warned that Beijing could gain access to sensitive F-35 technology through espionage in Saudi Arabia or Riyadh’s growing military relationship with China.

The proposed F-35 sale has also raised eyebrows in Israel among top officials. Israel is the only country in the Middle East currently operating the F-35, and US policy requires Washington to take Israel's qualitative military edge into account when approving major arms sales to other countries in the region. Israeli officials have previously raised concerns about providing the aircraft to Saudi Arabia, while the United States has indicated that any Saudi aircraft would not necessarily include all of the capabilities available to Israel.