Trump likely to sell F-35 fighters to Saudis, US official says

The Saudis have been seeking to purchase F-35 planes, which are made by Lockheed Martin Corp. and are among the world’s most advanced jets, according to officials familiar with the negotiations.

President Donald Trump is expected to reach an agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that would allow the kingdom to purchase F-35 stealth planes, according to an administration official.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public, said Trump and the crown prince — known as MBS — intend to sign economic and defense agreements during a visit to the White House scheduled for Tuesday. Those agreements will also include a deal on purchases of liquefied natural gas, the official added, without providing more details.

The sale of F-35s, if completed, would be a major concession to Saudi Arabia as Washington and Riyadh look to deepen their ties and as Trump presses the country to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.

The Saudis have been seeking to purchase F-35 planes, which are made by Lockheed Martin Corp. and are among the world’s most advanced jets, according to officials familiar with the negotiations. The jets cost about $100 million each.

There have been signs that Trump is willing to sign off on a purchase, despite some major stumbling blocks. One sticking point is that Israel is the only state in the Middle East that has the fighter jets and is eager to protect that monopoly, which it says provides a crucial edge for its security.

A Pentagon report raised concerns that China could acquire the plane’s advanced technology if a sale to Saudi Arabia was approved, citing Beijing’s defense ties with Riyadh, the New York Times reported.

A potential F-35 sale is one of a number of issues that Trump and MBS are expected to address during the visit, with access to artificial intelligence chips and nuclear technology, the future of Gaza and the issue of Saudi relations with Israel also high on the agenda.

The relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia was strained following the murder of newspaper columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, but Trump has looked to cultivate a close relationship with the crown prince.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.