WASHINGTON, Nov 18 — President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the United States will go ahead with the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, just a day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House.
WASHINGTON, Nov 18 — President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the United States will go ahead with the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, just a day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House.
“We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35s,” Trump told reporters when asked if Washington would approve Riyadh’s request during today’s meeting, adding that Saudi Arabia has been “a great ally.”
Saudi Arabia has long sought to purchase the F-35s, which are currently operated only by Israel in the Middle East. Israeli officials have expressed concern over a potential sale, even as Washington pushes for Riyadh to normalise ties with Israel.
Separately, a source familiar with discussions said Trump and the crown prince are expected to sign a framework agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation. As one of the world’s largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia says it wants to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and is seeking advanced US nuclear technology under a “123 agreement,” which is subject to strict non-proliferation conditions and likely congressional scrutiny.
Saudi Arabia maintains it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and recently strengthened its defence partnership with Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation.
The US has so far restricted F-35 sales to its closest allies, including several NATO countries and Israel. In 2019, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara acquired a Russian air defence system, raising fears Moscow could gain access to sensitive technology.
Prince Mohammed’s trip marks his first US visit since the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives, an incident that triggered global condemnation and strained bilateral ties.
During the visit, the crown prince is expected to seek security guarantees, while Trump is likely to push for progress toward Saudi-Israeli normalization — although the kingdom is not expected to commit at this stage. — AFP
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