Overview
- After meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Trump said the United States will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia and announced agreement on a bilateral defense accord.
- Trump said the Saudi jets would be the same as Israel’s F-35s, marking a potential change in a region where Israel is the only current operator.
- Reuters reporting indicates Saudi Arabia has requested up to 48 aircraft, a package likely worth tens of billions of dollars.
- U.S. defense officials have voiced concerns about potential technology leakage to China given Saudi cooperation with Beijing, according to the New York Times.
- Israeli officials have urged tying any sale to Saudi-Israeli normalization, and Mohammed bin Salman reiterated that recognition requires a two-state solution for Palestinians.