The US will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump told reporters ahead of a White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 'We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35 jets,' Trump said. 'They've been a great ally.'
The leaders are expected to discuss deals on defense and civilian nuclear power during Tuesday's White House visit, the first by the de facto Saudi leader since journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered at the hands of Saudi agents seven years ago. A US intelligence assessment said Prince Mohammed approved the operation that led to the killing. The crown prince denied any role in the murder.
Prince Mohammed's last visit was during Trump's first term in 2018, the same year as Khashoggi's murder in Istanbul. While former President Joe Biden did not host the crown prince and promised to make the country a 'pariah' over its human rights record, Biden did visit Saudi Arabia in 2022 to reach agreements on other issues. Biden said he raised Khashoggi's murder in that meeting.
Trump and the crown prince already met in Riyadh in May, where the US agreed to sell nearly $142 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia in what the White House described as the 'largest defense sales agreement in history', as part of a $600 billion investment deal. Saudi Arabia is the largest buyer of US arms.
Concerns regarding the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, considered the most advanced fighter jets in the world, have been expressed by some American defense officials, who fear it would give Saudi Arabia access to sensitive stealth technology, which could potentially be shared with China. Israeli officials have also expressed apprehensions about the impact on Israel's military superiority in the region as they are the closest US ally with F-35 capability.
Each F-35A jet costs approximately $82.5 million, according to Lockheed Martin, the lead manufacturer. During the meeting, Trump is also expected to push for Saudi Arabia to sign the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, which officials have said is conditional on a pathway to a Palestinian state that the current Israeli government rejects.
The leaders are expected to discuss deals on defense and civilian nuclear power during Tuesday's White House visit, the first by the de facto Saudi leader since journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered at the hands of Saudi agents seven years ago. A US intelligence assessment said Prince Mohammed approved the operation that led to the killing. The crown prince denied any role in the murder.
Prince Mohammed's last visit was during Trump's first term in 2018, the same year as Khashoggi's murder in Istanbul. While former President Joe Biden did not host the crown prince and promised to make the country a 'pariah' over its human rights record, Biden did visit Saudi Arabia in 2022 to reach agreements on other issues. Biden said he raised Khashoggi's murder in that meeting.
Trump and the crown prince already met in Riyadh in May, where the US agreed to sell nearly $142 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia in what the White House described as the 'largest defense sales agreement in history', as part of a $600 billion investment deal. Saudi Arabia is the largest buyer of US arms.
Concerns regarding the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, considered the most advanced fighter jets in the world, have been expressed by some American defense officials, who fear it would give Saudi Arabia access to sensitive stealth technology, which could potentially be shared with China. Israeli officials have also expressed apprehensions about the impact on Israel's military superiority in the region as they are the closest US ally with F-35 capability.
Each F-35A jet costs approximately $82.5 million, according to Lockheed Martin, the lead manufacturer. During the meeting, Trump is also expected to push for Saudi Arabia to sign the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, which officials have said is conditional on a pathway to a Palestinian state that the current Israeli government rejects.
