Trump moves to approve F-35 jets sale to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House has placed advanced U.S. fighter jets at the center of a fast-deepening security partnership.

President Donald Trump said he plans to approve the sale of F-35 Lightning II stealth jets to Saudi Arabia, calling the kingdom “a great ally” during their meeting on Tuesday. The move would give Riyadh one of the most powerful aircraft fleets in the Middle East.

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The announcement came as six U.S. fighter jets, three F-35s and three F-15s, flew over the South Lawn during a rare welcome ceremony. Trump and the crown prince later toured the White House grounds before opening talks on defense, regional stability, and long-term security needs. “We’ll be selling F-35s,” Trump told reporters. MBS nodded with a smile, saying both countries were facing “more and more” shared opportunities.

The pending sale has sparked debate. Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney warned the deal could complicate Riyadh’s goal of building its own defense industry. He said Saudi leaders may want a stronger security pact rather than more hardware alone. “At heart, what they want is something long-term and predictable,” Ratney said. Analysts say the F-35 talks show how central defense cooperation has become to U.S.–Saudi relations.

Questions remain about whether Washington will tie the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. Trump said last week he believed the kingdom could join “fairly shortly,” but Riyadh insists any deal must include “concrete progress” toward a Palestinian state. The push comes as the United States tries to hold together a Gaza cease-fire backed by a U.S.-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution.

The visit also highlights the scale of U.S.–Saudi trade. Goods trade reached $25.9 billion in 2024, and Saudi investments in the U.S. may rise to $1 trillion. Still, this is MBS’s first Washington trip since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. intelligence said he approved.

Riyadh denies his involvement, though he accepted responsibility as the kingdom’s leader. Both sides now say they want a security partnership built on modern defense, shared interests, and stability.