The State Department has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale to Saudi Arabia for 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jet and related equipment, the agency said in a news release, as the critical U.S. ally confronts a new front in the war with Iran. Saudi Arabia has long pursued the F-35’s but to date Israel has been the only country in the Middle East to secure access to Lockheed Martin’s fighter jet considered the most lethal, stealthy and survivable aircraft in the world. Saudi Arabia accuses Houthis of targeting Mecca Congress was officially notified Thursday of the possible transfer of the advanced military aircraft to Saudi Arabia and some lawmakers have already raised concerns that the technology behind it could be acquired or stolen by China, which has a military partnership with the kingdom.
Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said in a social media post. We must not sell our most advanced fighter jet anywhere the CCP may be able to get its hands on the technology inside it.” On Wednesday, The New York Times cited U.S. officials as saying that intelligence analysts had raised the possibility that China could get F-35 technology by spying in Saudi Arabia or through its partnership with the kingdom. Previous arms sales to Saudi Arabia, including one for $110 billion proposed by the Trump administration during President Donald Trump’s first term, also faced scrutiny by Congress after the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post.
In his second term, the Trump administration prioritized weapons sales to the Kingdom as the largest recipient of U.S. arms. The approval of F-35 shipment follows Saudi Arabia’s agreement to purchase $142 billion in military equipment and services from the U.S. during Trump’s May 2025 trip to Riyadh — the largest defense sales package in history. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged Trump to take military action against the Houthis, NBC News previously reported, but so far, the U.S. has declined to join in military strikes.
The State Department declined to provide a timeline for a possible shipment of the military aircraft but a spokesperson said the U.S. is committed to “further strengthening the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capabilities to deter regional threats, protect its borders, and contribute to regional stability.” “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 Saudi Embassy in Washington said in a social media post.
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