In brief
During a White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Donald Trump announced plans to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia. The visit marks the first since the controversial murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and has raised concerns regarding military technology and regional stability. Trump's push for Saudi normalization with Israel may also be a topic of discussion, further complicating US relations in the region.
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, mentioning Khashoggi’s murder during talks.
Trump and the crown prince already met in Riyadh in May. That meeting resulted in nearly $142bn worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, part of a larger $600bn investment deal.
However, some US defense officials express concern over the F-35s sale, fearing access to sensitive technology could be shared with China. Officials in Israel also worry that the deal may undermine their military advantage since Israel is the only country in the region with F-35s.
One F-35A jet costs on average $82.5m, according to lead manufacturer Lockheed Martin. During the meeting, Trump is also anticipated to push for Saudi Arabia to sign the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, contingent upon a path to a Palestinian state which is currently rejected by the Israeli government.
