TLEDESK: President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will proceed with the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, confirming a long-sought request from Riyadh just a day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives at the White House for high-level talks.
“We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35s,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Washington would approve the sale during Tuesday’s meeting. “They’ve been a great ally,” he added.
Saudi Arabia has for years pushed to acquire the advanced aircraft, which are currently operated in the Middle East only by Israel. The prospect of Riyadh obtaining the jets has raised concerns in Israel, even as Washington continues to pressure Saudi Arabia to move toward normalizing relations with the country.
Nuclear Cooperation Framework Expected
A source familiar with the negotiations said Trump and the crown prince are also expected to sign a framework for civilian nuclear cooperation. Saudi Arabia — one of the world’s largest oil producers — has been seeking to diversify its energy sources and hopes to access advanced U.S. nuclear technology under what is known as a “123 agreement.”
Such agreements carry strict non-proliferation conditions and would likely undergo close scrutiny in Congress. Riyadh insists it has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons and recently expanded its defence partnership with Pakistan, itself a nuclear-armed state.
A Sensitive Sale
The United States has restricted F-35 sales to its closest allies, including several NATO members and Israel. Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 programme in 2019 after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defence system, raising fears Moscow could gain access to sensitive U.S. technology.
The potential sale to Riyadh comes at a politically delicate moment. Prince Mohammed’s visit will be his first to Washington since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, an incident that sparked global condemnation and strained U.S.-Saudi relations.
During the meeting, the crown prince is expected to seek firm U.S. security guarantees. Trump, for his part, is likely to push him to advance Saudi-Israeli normalisation — though analysts say Riyadh is unlikely to commit to such a move at this stage.
The visit underscores a renewed effort by both sides to stabilise a partnership long viewed as central to U.S. strategy in the Middle East.
