Trump Expected to Approve F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Push to Expand Abraham Accords

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – President Donald Trump is expected to finalize a landmark agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that would allow Riyadh to acquire advanced U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jets—part of a sweeping package of economic, defense, and normalization initiatives set to be unveiled at the White House this week.

The deal, reported by Bloomberg and Arutz Sheva and valued at tens of billions of dollars, would mark one of the most consequential U.S.–Saudi defense arrangements in decades, reshaping the region’s balance of power and deepening Riyadh’s integration into the emerging post-Iran Middle East architecture.

Trump: “They Wanna Buy a Lot of Jets”

Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump confirmed he is strongly considering Riyadh’s request.

“They wanna buy a lot of jets,” Trump said. “They want to buy a lot of ‘35’ — and actually more than that. We have the best planes, the best missiles; you saw it when we destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability.”

Israel, the first foreign state to field the F-35 in 2017, has long viewed the jet as a core pillar of its qualitative military edge. U.S. officials say any Saudi purchase would be structured to maintain Israel’s superiority.

Pentagon Concerns Over China

A Pentagon intelligence assessment, reported by The New York Times, warns that Saudi Arabia’s close ties with China could risk exposing F-35 tech to Beijing. Senior defense officials nevertheless acknowledge the sale forms part of Trump’s broader regional strategy to consolidate pro-Western alliances after the collapse of Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia Poised to Join the Abraham Accords

Trump said he hopes Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords “very shortly,” describing “tremendous interest” from Arab and Muslim states now that Iran’s nuclear threat has been neutralized.

“More nations are lining up to embrace peace and prosperity through my Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Blessed are the peacemakers!”

Just days earlier, Trump announced that Kazakhstan became the first country of his second term to join the accords.

White House Visit to Seal Economic and Defense Pacts

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit next week will be his first to the White House in seven years. The leaders are expected to sign major agreements—including the F-35 framework, energy cooperation, and discussions on transferring U.S. civilian nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.

“This is more than a meeting—we’re honoring Saudi Arabia,” Trump told reporters.

Trump Organization Nearing Major Saudi Real Estate Deal

In a parallel development, The New York Times reports that the Trump Organization is in advanced talks to license the Trump brand for a major project inside the $63-billion Saudi government Diriyah development.

Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the project and a longtime Trump associate, said it is “just a matter of time” before the deal is finalized.

The arrangement would run through Dar Global, a powerful Saudi development group closely tied to the royal family and already a major Trump business partner. It brought in nearly $22 million in payments to the Trump Organization in 2024 alone.

During Trump’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, he and the crown prince reviewed architectural plans at a state dinner.

“You normally wouldn’t do that at a state dinner,” Inzerillo said. “But that’s because you’re looking at him not just as president, but as a developer.”

Administration officials maintain there is no conflict of interest, noting the Trump Organization is managed by his children.

A Transformational U.S.–Saudi–Israel Alignment

If finalized, the F-35 sale, nuclear cooperation agreement, and normalization push would create the most far-reaching U.S.–Saudi strategic partnership in generations—aligning Riyadh more closely with Washington and Jerusalem in the post-Iran era while accelerating the expansion of the Abraham Accords.

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