Overview
- Trump said he is considering a Saudi request for F-35s, telling reporters the kingdom wants to buy “a lot of jets,” with the review elevated ahead of the Nov. 18 talks.
- Israeli officials told Washington they would not oppose a transfer if it is tied to full Saudi normalization with Israel and includes safeguards such as limits on basing near Israel.
- Riyadh continues to require a credible, time‑bound path to Palestinian statehood for normalization, a demand Netanyahu has rejected, leaving major gaps unresolved.
- U.S. officials are preparing a security assurance short of a treaty to deepen defense ties with Saudi Arabia and hope to leverage it for movement on normalization.
- Pentagon and congressional concerns persist over Israel’s qualitative military edge and potential technology leakage to China, echoing hurdles that stalled the UAE’s previously approved F-35 bid.