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

The Trump administration has formally notified Congress of a proposed sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, putting a roughly $24.3 billion arms package before lawmakers for approval. The State Department framed the transfer as advancing U.S. foreign policy and national security goals by strengthening the defense of a major non-NATO ally and promoting stability and economic progress in the Gulf. The announcement arrived as fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels intensified. The Houthis recently said they shot down a Saudi F-15 over the key city of Marib and released video of wreckage; the group claims the aircraft was downed by a locally produced surface-to-air missile. Saudi-Houthi exchanges have also been reported to have killed at least five people, including three children. Administration officials asserted the F-35 transfer would not change the military balance in the region and would be consistent with longstanding U.S. policy to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge. Nevertheless, the prospective sale has prompted concerns in Washington about security risks beyond the immediate battlefield. U.S. intelligence analysts have warned that Chinese access to F-35 technology could be possible through partnerships with Riyadh, a point cited by Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi among those opposing the deal. The sale also intersects with broader regional dynamics. Saudi Arabia recently signed a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan and Turkiye, signaling efforts to diversify defense partnerships. Israel, currently the only regional operator of the F-35, has voiced reservations about selling the jets to Riyadh in the context of normalization talks, and Turkiye has been barred from receiving F-35s since 2019 after purchasing Russian air-defense systems.