Overview
- Israeli officials told Axios they want any U.S. F-35 transfer to Saudi Arabia conditioned on Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel.
- Bloomberg reported that President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are expected to discuss an F-35 deal during the prince’s Washington visit, with an agreement portrayed as possible but not finalized.
- The New York Times reported Pentagon concerns that selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia could erode Israel’s qualitative military edge, as Israel remains the only regional operator of the jet.
- U.S. officials cited by Axios say significant differences persist between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh seeking commitments toward Palestinian statehood that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted.
- Israeli sources expressed hope Trump will urge the crown prince to ease demands and open direct talks, while Trump said he plans to raise normalization and wants Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords.