US President Donald Trump announced his intention to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. He said this on November 17 at the White House ahead of a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
I will say that we will do it. We will sell F-35s
The transfer of 48 aircraft is planned, a multi-billion dollar deal has already passed a key approval stage at the Pentagon. Saudi Arabia has been seeking to modernize its air force and counter threats from Iran, seeking access to these fighter jets for many years.
The sale of F-35s to Riyadh would be a significant change in US policy and could affect the military balance in the Middle East, including Israel's "qualitative military edge" principle, which ensures that Israel receives the most advanced weapons before other states in the region. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has had F-35s for almost a decade and has created several squadrons of these aircraft.
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The deal may face resistance in the US Congress, where some lawmakers oppose deepening military cooperation with Riyadh, especially after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The previous Biden administration also considered transferring F-35s to Saudi Arabia as part of a broader diplomatic agreement that included the normalization of relations between Riyadh and Israel, but the process did not move forward at the time.
Recall
It was previously reported that the United States may sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the White House on Tuesday, November 18. The agreements will include a possible F-35 contract and LNG imports, as well as discussions on access to AI chips and nuclear technologies.
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