On Thursday, the State Department announced that Washington had given the green light to a $24.3 billion purchase of 48 fifth‑generation F‑35 stealth fighters that will be shipped to Riyadh over the next few years. This marks Saudi Arabia’s first major arms acquisition since the start of the Iran war, after years of lobbying for the advanced jets.
The decision follows Saudi’s push for normalisation with Israel, but Israeli officials have voiced concern that the sale could tip the regional balance. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats,” the State Department said, citing enhanced homeland defence and interoperability with U.S. forces.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, has publicly warned that the deal could hand a “crown jewel” of U.S. military technology to the Chinese Communist Party, citing intelligence reports of Beijing’s interest in F‑35 data. The rep urged lawmakers to block the export.
The approval is part of a string of Saudi arms purchases this year, including a $5 billion sale of 10,000 bombs, $750 million for 60 tank engines, and a $1.96 billion kit for precision‑guided rockets.
Saudi forces have faced drone and missile strikes from Tehran‑backed forces and Houthi rebels, prompting Washington to deploy a U.S. military task force to bolster intelligence sharing and planning assistance.
The sale now heads to Congress, where lawmakers must vote on the arms license; delivery dates remain undetermined, and Washington has reiterated that the deal will not alter the regional military balance.