Overview
- President Donald Trump confirmed plans to sell F-35 fighters to Riyadh, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington for talks.
- Axios reported Israel would request U.S. security assurances if the sale proceeds to safeguard its qualitative military edge.
- Israeli interlocutors said any Saudi F-35s should not be stationed at western Saudi air bases closest to Israel.
- One Israeli official noted an F-35 could reach Israel from Saudi territory in several minutes, underscoring proximity concerns.
- Bloomberg reported Riyadh seeks U.S. guarantees modeled on those extended to Qatar, as discussions also touch on steps toward Israel–Saudi normalization and Saudi insistence on recognition of a Palestinian state.