Trump breaks with predecessor’s approach, greenlighting stealth fighter sale Riyadh has pursued for years ahead of key diplomatic talks.
President Donald Trump announced Monday he will authorize the sale of advanced F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia, reversing years of U.S. policy that restricted the sophisticated weapons system from Middle Eastern nations beyond Israel.
Trump disclosed the decision during remarks at the White House, just three days before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in Washington for high-level talks.
“We will be doing that,” Trump said from the Oval Office on Monday. “We will be selling F-35s.”
The president praised Saudi Arabia as being a “great ally” to the United States but provided no details on the number of aircraft involved or the financial terms of the agreement.
The move represents a significant departure from the Biden administration’s stance, which consistently denied similar requests from Gulf nations. It also ends Israel’s status as the sole Middle East operator of America’s most advanced fighter jet.
Riyadh has pursued F-35 acquisition for years. Reuters previously reported the kingdom is seeking 48 of the single-engine strike fighters, a package valued at roughly $4 billion based on earlier F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant pricing.
If finalized, the sale would make Saudi Arabia the 21st nation worldwide to operate the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft.
Israel currently flies the F-35I, a locally configured version of the fighter. Washington has historically declined F-35 requests from other regional governments to preserve Israel’s military edge.
Qatar formally requested F-35s in 2020 during the final months of Trump’s first administration. The Biden administration later rejected that bid.
A separate agreement to sell F-35s to the United Arab Emirates also collapsed under Biden, partly due to concerns about potential Chinese intelligence gathering on the aircraft’s advanced capabilities within the UAE.
Trump had backed UAE F-35 sales during his first term. The transaction likely would have proceeded in 2021 had Biden not won the November 2020 presidential election.
The apparent Saudi approval aligns with Trump’s previously stated preferences while potentially serving as leverage with Riyadh. Trump has pushed Saudi Arabia to establish formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
Active deliberations on a Saudi F-35 deal have intensified in Washington in recent weeks as the November 20 meeting with the crown prince approaches.
Key Takeaways
- Trump authorized F-35 stealth fighter sales to Saudi Arabia, ending years of restricted access to the advanced aircraft in the Middle East beyond Israel.
- Riyadh reportedly seeks 48 F-35A fighters in a deal worth approximately $4 billion, which would make Saudi Arabia the 21st global F-35 operator.
- The decision reverses the Biden administration’s pattern of rejecting similar requests from Qatar and the UAE.
- The move comes days before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington and aligns with Trump’s push for Saudi-Israeli normalization.
