An F-35 fighter jet takes off from Lakenheath Air Force Base in Mildenhall, England, on January 7, 2026.
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US President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the potential $24.3 billion sale of about 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, in what would be a major boost for the kingdom as it faces escalating attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The package, announced Thursday, includes 48 sales. lockheed martinF-35 jet, the world’s most advanced fighter jet, and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and other parts.
“This proposed sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a key non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic development in the Gulf region,” the State Department said in a statement.
The announcement comes as the Houthis have recently stepped up attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia, launching a blitzkrieg ground offensive aimed at seizing control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important oil chokepoint.
The Trump administration said the proposed deal would help improve Riyadh’s ability to deter current and future threats but “would not change the military balance in the region,” citing long-standing U.S. policy that Israel must maintain military superiority over potential rivals in the Middle East.
Congress has 30 days to scrutinize or try to block the deal, and some lawmakers have already expressed concerns.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy, D-Ill. He said the United States should not move forward with the deal at a time when “our intelligence agencies are warning that it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within the reach of the Chinese Communist Party.”
In a statement on social media, Krishnamoorthi added: “Our most advanced fighter jets must not be sold to any location where the Chinese Communist Party may have access to internal technology.”
U.S. President Donald Trump (Republican) speaks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. President Trump has invited the crown prince to talks aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the sale of F-35 fighter jets by the United States to Saudi Arabia.
Win McNamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Parliament had previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Kosogi, a prominent critic of Saudi Arabia.
Last May, President Trump praised Saudi Arabia and its leadership after the White House announced Saudi Arabia’s commitment to invest $600 billion in a series of deals with the United States.
The deal also included nearly $142 billion in defense sales agreements, which the White House said at the time would provide “state-of-the-art combat equipment and services from more than a dozen U.S. defense companies.”
President Trump has close ties to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and welcomed him to the White House in November.
