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// DOSSIER — us-state-department-approves-f-35-sale-saudi
US State Department Approves Potential $24.3 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia
REL_TIME: 19 Sep 2026 14:17Z · LANG: EN
The US State Department has approved a potential $24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines to Saudi Arabia. The deal, which now faces a mandatory 30-day congressional review, comes amid escalating regional conflict, including the seven-month-old US-Iran war and intensified attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels (Ansar Allah). While the State Department asserts the sale will not alter the regional military balance, the proposal has sparked significant controversy. US intelligence agencies have warned of potential technology leaks to China due to Riyadh's defense and telecommunications ties with Beijing, while critics raise concerns over Israel's qualitative military edge and Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
// Background
Saudi Arabia has long sought the F-35 stealth fighter to modernize its air force, which currently relies on F-15s, Tornados, and Typhoons. The kingdom's security situation has grown increasingly precarious due to the ongoing US-Iran war, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz and forced Saudi Arabia to rely on its Red Sea route for oil exports. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi energy infrastructure, recently forcing the shutdown of the East-West pipeline and advancing toward the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. While the Biden administration previously explored an F-35 deal tied to Saudi-Israeli normalization, the Trump administration has prioritized direct arms sales, including a massive $142 billion defense package in 2025.
// Key Developments
- The US State Department approved a potential $24.3 billion arms package for Saudi Arabia, including 48 F-35 fighter jets and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines.
- The deal is subject to a 30-day congressional review period, though Congress rarely blocks major foreign military sales.
- The sale occurs against the backdrop of a seven-month US-Iran war and escalating Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, including the East-West pipeline.
- US intelligence agencies and lawmakers have raised alarms that sensitive F-35 technology could be exposed to China due to Saudi-Beijing military and telecommunications ties.
- The deal tests the US commitment to maintaining Israel's 'qualitative military edge' as the sole Middle Eastern operator of the F-35.
// Timeline
-
President Trump praises Saudi Arabia following Riyadh's commitment to invest $600 billion in US deals, including a $142 billion defense package.
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President Trump meets Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House and publicly announces plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
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The US and Israel launch attacks on Iran, initiating a wider regional war that sees Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf states hosting US bases.
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A four-year truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis breaks after Houthi forces confront Saudi warplanes attempting to block an Iranian civilian flight in Sanaa.
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The New York Times reports on classified US intelligence warnings regarding Chinese espionage risks in the Saudi F-35 deal; Yemen's SABA news agency publishes photos of a downed Saudi F-15.
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The US State Department formally approves the potential $24.3 billion F-35 sale and notifies Congress, initiating a 30-day review period; CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper travels to Saudi Arabia for talks.
// Perspectives
[US State Department / Trump Administration]
Supports the sale, arguing it strengthens a key non-NATO ally, deters regional threats, improves interoperability, and will not alter the regional military balance.
[Saudi Arabian Government]
Welcomes the deal as a major step in deepening defense cooperation and strategic partnership with the US to secure its homeland against regional threats.
[US Intelligence Agencies]
Skeptical and concerned, warning that Saudi Arabia's use of Chinese telecommunications (Huawei) and Chinese military access to Saudi bases could lead to F-35 technology leaks to Beijing.
[Israeli Military and Political Leadership]
Concerned and historically opposed, arguing that providing F-35s to Gulf states could erode Israel's qualitative military edge (QME) and air superiority in the region.
[Congressional Critics]
Opposed, citing the risk of Chinese intellectual property theft and lingering concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record, including the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
// Quotes
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region.”
“The proposed F-35 sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-U.S. strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defense cooperation.”
“The Trump administration should not move forward with its proposed sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia when our own intelligence community is warning that it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party.”
