Trump Eyes Massive F-35 Fighter Jet Deal with Saudi Arabia: Boosting Arms Sales and Middle East Security
Washington, DC, November 16 - In a bold move signaling renewed U.S.-Saudi defense ties, President Donald Trump has revealed he's seriously weighing a blockbuster F-35 fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia, quipping that "they wanna buy a lot of jets." The announcement, made during a White House press interaction on November 14, 2025, underscores Trump's aggressive push to expand American arms exports and fortify alliances in the volatile Middle East. As the world's premier stealth fighter, the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II represents cutting-edge aviation technology, blending advanced radar evasion, sensor fusion, and multirole capabilities that could transform Saudi Arabia's air superiority against threats like Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. This potential multibillion-dollar transaction, potentially involving up to 48 jets forming two full squadrons, revives a long-sought Riyadh priority that has danced on the edge of U.S. foreign policy for years.
The F-35 deal emerges amid Trump's upcoming White House summit with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, slated for next week, where broader economic and defense pacts are expected to be inked. Trump framed the overture as a gesture of mutual respect, stating the discussions go "beyond a mere meeting, we're honoring Saudi Arabia." This aligns with his administration's early signals of openness to deepening military cooperation, building on Saudi Arabia's status as the largest buyer of U.S. weaponry. The kingdom's current fleet, a patchwork of Boeing F-15s and European models like Tornados and Typhoons, lags in stealth features essential for modern aerial dominance. By greenlighting F-35 sales, Trump aims to modernize Saudi forces while tying the deal to diplomatic incentives, including Riyadh's potential entry into the Abraham Accords, a Trump-era framework normalizing Israel-Arab relations that could further isolate Iran.
Yet, the prospective F-35 fighter jet agreement isn't without thorns, as Pentagon intelligence reports flag serious risks of technology proliferation to adversaries. A recent assessment warns that China might exploit Saudi maintenance networks or partnerships to pilfer F-35 secrets, echoing concerns that derailed a similar U.S. offer to the UAE under the Biden administration. Those talks collapsed after Washington demanded intrusive safeguards like remote "kill switches" on the jets, deemed too invasive by Gulf partners. For Saudi Arabia, securing these fifth-generation fighters would level the playing field regionally but could strain Israel's qualitative military edge, the only Middle Eastern nation currently flying F-35s, which it deployed in recent strikes on Iranian targets. Critics argue the sale might embolden Riyadh's assertive posture in Yemen and beyond, complicating U.S. commitments under international human rights scrutiny.
As Trump navigates these F-35 sale hurdles, the decision could ripple across global defense markets, injecting vitality into Lockheed Martin's order books and reinforcing America's role as the indispensable arms supplier. With Saudi Arabia eyeing fleet upgrades to counter escalating proxy conflicts, this jet deal embodies Trump's "America First" ethos: leveraging military exports for strategic leverage and economic wins. Whether safeguards mitigate the tech-leak perils remains unclear, but one thing's certain: the skies over the Arabian Peninsula may soon echo with the roar of stealthy new guardians.