President Trump announces F-35 fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia ahead of Crown Prince’s White House visit, with nuclear cooperation deal also expected.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump confirmed the United States will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
“We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35s,” Trump told reporters ahead of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s White House visit.
The president described Saudi Arabia as “a great ally” ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
Riyadh has long sought to acquire the advanced F-35 aircraft, currently only operated by Israel in the Middle East.
Israeli officials have expressed concerns about the potential sale despite ongoing normalization efforts.
A source familiar with negotiations said Trump and the prince will also sign a framework for civilian nuclear cooperation.
Saudi Arabia, among the world’s top oil producers, aims to diversify from fossil fuels through advanced US technology.
Such nuclear agreements face strict non-proliferation rules and would require Congressional scrutiny for any full accord.
The kingdom maintains it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and recently strengthened defense ties with nuclear-armed Pakistan.
The United States restricts F-35 sales to closest allies, including several European NATO members and Israel.
Washington previously removed Turkey from the F-35 program over Ankara’s purchase of Russian air defense systems.
Prince Mohammed’s visit marks his first to the US since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi sparked global outrage.
The Saudi leader will seek security guarantees while Trump pushes for Israeli normalization.
Saudi Arabia remains unlikely to agree to normalization at this stage. – AFP
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