Trump Confirms F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia Ahead of White House Meeting With Crown Prince

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) – President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that the United States will move forward with selling advanced F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia, announcing the decision just one day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives at the White House for a high-profile visit aimed at deepening economic, technological, and defense cooperation.

“We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35s,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, offering no additional details but calling Riyadh “a great ally” and noting Saudi appreciation for June’s joint U.S.–Israeli strikes that crippled Iran’s nuclear capability.

The announcement marks a major policy shift and signals the White House’s full rehabilitation of Mohammed bin Salman—widely known as MBS—despite the kingdom’s role in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The pending sale, potentially involving up to 48 aircraft, would make Saudi Arabia the only Middle Eastern nation other than Israel to operate the U.S.’s most advanced fighter jet.

Concerns Over Israel’s Military Advantage

The deal has triggered unease among U.S. lawmakers, defense analysts, and Israeli officials who warn that providing Riyadh with the jet could erode Israel’s legally-protected “qualitative military edge.”

“Having these things end up in the Saudi air force several years hence without normalization would be a misuse of American leverage,” said John Hannah of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

Bradley Bowman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies added that Congress must ensure sensitive F-35 technology will not be accessed by China—Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner. “You can’t give Saudi Arabia the U.S.’s most advanced fighter and have it not affect Israel’s qualitative military edge,” Bowman said.

Israel is not opposing the sale outright but hopes Washington will condition delivery on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords. Trump said he expects progress “very shortly.”

Normalization Still Hinges on Palestinian State Pathway

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly affirmed it will not normalize ties with Israel without a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood—a position reinforced by senior Palestinian Authority officials on Monday.

“Resolving the Palestinian issue is the gateway to normalization with Israel,” an official close to PA President Mahmoud Abbas told The Times of Israel.

The timing is notable: on Monday evening, the UN Security Council passed Trump’s plan for Gaza, establishing an international stabilization force and referencing a future “pathway” to Palestinian statehood. Saudi Arabia backed the measure.

A State-Visit Level Welcome

Trump will host MBS with full state-visit trappings, including a White House dinner and a U.S.–Saudi investment summit at the Kennedy Center. The crown prince is expected to pursue:

• Access to advanced U.S. semiconductor technology essential for AI development.
• A civilian nuclear cooperation framework, possibly a “123 Agreement.”
• Stronger U.S. security guarantees after recent instability in the Gulf.

“The crown prince wants reliable and predictable exports of the most advanced chips that would fuel their data centers in Saudi Arabia,” said former U.S. Ambassador to Riyadh Michael Ratney.

Human Rights Concerns

Human-rights groups condemned the red-carpet welcome.

“Mass repression, record executions, and zero tolerance for dissent are the reality,” said Sarah Yager of Human Rights Watch. “U.S. officials should be pressing for change, not posing for photos.”

Congressional Hurdles Remain

To finalize the F-35 sale, the administration must notify Congress, which could attempt to block the deal. Such efforts have never succeeded.

Still, bipartisan concerns linger—particularly regarding China’s footprint in Saudi defense and surveillance systems. A similar F-35 sale to the UAE collapsed several years ago over such issues.

For Trump, however, the moment is an opportunity to cement multibillion-dollar defense deals, strengthen Washington–Riyadh ties, and push Saudi Arabia toward normalization with Israel.

“Americans can expect more good deals for our country spanning technology, manufacturing, critical minerals, defense, and more,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.

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