U.S. Clears $24.3 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia, Facing Hill Pushback

The State Department has approved the potential sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a package valued at $24.3 billion, a major step toward giving the kingdom the stealth aircraft that only Israel now flies in the Middle East. The approval, announced Thursday, is not a completed transaction: the deal must still clear a congressional review before it can be finalized, according to Semafor, Straight Arrow News and Al-Monitor.

The package covers 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, along with communications equipment, spare parts, software, training and support, according to Al-Monitor, citing a State Department statement. The department said the sale “will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats” and called the kingdom a major non-NATO ally that is “a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” according to Al-Monitor and Straight Arrow News.

Semafor described the approval as a major victory for Riyadh, which is seeking U.S. support as attacks from Iran-backed groups increase. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman lobbied senior administration officials in Washington about two months ago, Semafor reported, and the kingdom reportedly hopes to finalize the deal before the midterm elections. Renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has pushed oil prices above $100 and forced Saudi Arabia to shut its East-West pipeline, according to Straight Arrow News. Mr. Trump first announced in November 2025 that the United States would sell the jets, ahead of hosting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, Al-Monitor reported.

Opposition on Capitol Hill is already forming. Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, both Democrats, introduced a joint resolution of disapproval against the sale on Thursday, Semafor reported. A Markey spokesperson told the outlet that a senator could force a vote on the measure after 10 days, though the Senate is expected to recess soon. Under the foreign military sales process, Congress can try to block a sale with such a resolution, but the president could veto it, and overriding a veto would take a two-thirds vote in both chambers, Al-Monitor reported.

A central concern is technology security. Straight Arrow News, citing The New York Times, reported that U.S. intelligence analysts worry China could obtain F-35 technology through espionage or via its ties to Saudi Arabia. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, said the administration “should not move forward” with the sale because of those intelligence warnings.

The other major issue is Israel, the only Middle Eastern operator of the jet. U.S. policy requires weighing Israel’s qualitative military edge when approving arms sales in the region, Al-Monitor reported.

Past Saudi arms deals have drawn criticism over Riyadh’s relationship with China and the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Straight Arrow News noted. The State Department’s case, as quoted above, is that the sale strengthens a partner against current and future threats.

The Biden administration also discussed providing the jets as part of broader negotiations over a security arrangement and possible Saudi-Israeli normalization; those talks stalled after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and the Gaza campaign that followed, Al-Monitor reported. If the sale goes through, Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab country to operate the F-35.