The State Department on Thursday approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters to Saudi Arabia, a move that would make Riyadh the second Middle Eastern operator of the stealth jet and test Washington's commitment to preserving Israel's qualitative military edge. The notification to Congress covers 48 aircraft, 49 Pratt and Whitney engines, communications gear, spare parts and support services.
A policy shift years in the making
Saudi Arabia has sought the F-35 for years, making a direct appeal to President Donald Trump in early 2025. The kingdom, already the largest customer for U.S. arms, flies a mixed fleet of Boeing F-15s, European Tornados and Typhoons. The proposed deal would constitute two squadrons and marks a significant departure from previous administrations, which withheld the platform over concerns about Israel's military advantage and human rights objections tied to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Israel constraint
U.S. law requires that weapons sales to the region preserve Israel's qualitative military edge, effectively guaranteeing Jerusalem more advanced capabilities than its Arab neighbors. Israel has operated the F-35 for a decade across multiple squadrons and remains the only Middle Eastern country with the system. The Biden administration previously explored transferring F-35s to Riyadh as part of a normalization package with Israel, but those talks stalled. Thursday's notification signals the Trump administration is willing to proceed without that linkage.
Congressional hurdles remain
The sale still requires congressional approval, and lawmakers have previously blocked or delayed arms transfers to Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi killing and the war in Yemen. Some members remain wary of deepening military cooperation with the kingdom. The State Department's determination is a necessary step, but not a guarantee the jets will ever fly under Saudi markings.
The broader ledger
The F-35 notification sits alongside a nearly $142 billion arms package the White House announced in 2025, which it described as the largest defense cooperation agreement in U.S. history. Both reflect a deliberate effort to bind Riyadh's modernization drive, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030, to American platforms rather than European or Chinese alternatives. The Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the move on X, calling it a reflection of the "strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-U.S. strategic partnership."