WASHINGTON: The United States has approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, the State Department announced on Thursday — the kingdom’s latest major arms purchase since the start of the Iran war.
The proposed package, still pending congressional approval, includes the 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets along with 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, training and logistics packages. Lockheed Martin, based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, will serve as the principal contractors.
The State Department said the sale would support US foreign policy and security objectives by strengthening the defenses of a major non-NATO ally that serves as a force for political stability in the Gulf region. It added the deal would not alter the existing military balance in the region.
Israeli Concerns
Saudi Arabia has long sought to acquire the F-35, but Israel — currently the only country in the Middle East operating the jets — has previously voiced concern over their potential sale to Riyadh, despite a broader push for the kingdom to normalize relations with Israel. Washington has traditionally weighed Middle East arms sales against its commitment to preserving Israel’s “qualitative military edge,” and the move could test that longstanding policy. Israel has not yet issued a formal response to the announcement.
Part of a Wider Arms Buildup
The F-35 deal is the latest in a series of major Saudi arms purchases this year. Earlier in September, the State Department approved a $5 billion sale of more than 10,000 bombs, including 2,000-pound munitions, to Riyadh. Washington also cleared a $750 million sale of 60 tank engines this month and a $1.96 billion deal in July for guidance kits that convert rockets into precision-guided weapons. In 2025, the US had already approved an arms package worth nearly $142 billion for the kingdom, described by the White House as the largest defense cooperation agreement in its history.
Regional Backdrop
The sale comes as Saudi Arabia faces escalating attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have seized Yemen’s entire western coast and declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. Washington has not directly entered the conflict, though a US official said this week that an American military task force is involved in the region.
Saudi Reaction
The Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the transaction, saying it reflects the strength and enduring nature of the US-Saudi relationship and its continued defense cooperation.
Congress now has 30 days to review the deal, with some lawmakers expected to raise concerns over the transfer of sensitive US military technology and Saudi Arabia’s ties with China.
