An F-35 fighter plane takes off from at RAF Lakenheath on January 07, 2026 in Mildenhall, England.
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the potential $24.3 billion sale of nearly 50 F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia in what is seen as a major boost for the kingdom as it faces intensifying attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The package, which was announced on Thursday, includes the sale of 48 of Lockheed Martin‘s F-35 jets, the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft, and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and other parts.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the State Department said in a statement.
The announcement comes as the Houthis have recently ramped up attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and launched a lightning ground offensive to exercise control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically vital oil choke point.
The Trump administration said the proposed deal would help improve Riyadh’s capability to deter current and future threats but would “not alter the military balance in the region” — referring to a longstanding U.S. policy that Israel must maintain a military advantage over potential rivals in the Middle East.
Congress has 30 days to scrutinize or attempt to block the deal, and some lawmakers have already raised concerns.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. said the U.S. should not move ahead with the deal at a time “when our own intelligence community is warning that it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party.”
In a statement on social media, Krishnamoorthi added: “We must not sell our most advanced fighter jet anywhere the CCP may be able to get its hands on the technology inside it.”
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the crown prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
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Congress has previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Kohsoggi, a high-profile critic of the kingdom.
In May last year, Trump had praised Saudi Arabia and its leaders after the White House announced a commitment for the kingdom to invest $600 billion in a series of deals with the U.S.
Among the agreements was a nearly $142 billion defense sales deal, which the White House said at the time would provide “state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms.”
Trump, who has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had welcomed the crown prince to the White House in November.
