U.S. approves sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for $24.3 billion

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, in a package valued at an estimated $24.3 billion, the department announced on Thursday. Saudi Arabia had requested the purchase of 48 F-35 aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, communications equipment, spare parts and other support items.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the State Department said in its statement, adding that the sale “will not alter the military balance in the region.” President Donald Trump designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally in November 2025.

The approval comes at the height of the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis, with dozens of Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and Houthi drone and missile attacks on Saudi cities, including an attack on Taif province that caused the first fatality reported by Riyadh this month.

The news is expected to ignite debate in the U.S. Congress, where Democrats have already threatened to block other major arms sales to the region because of the war with Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera