Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the details of the negotiations, that Washington is considering approving the deal before the expected visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the United States on November 18, where he is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House. The sources explained that the deal received preliminary approval from the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) after months of discussions at the highest levels, but it is still awaiting a series of final approvals, including Trump’s signature and formal notification to Congress.
The newspaper confirmed that the Saudi deal, estimated to be worth billions of dollars, comes as a direct response to a formal request from Riyadh submitted to the US President at the beginning of this year, as part of “Vision 2030” to modernize the Saudi armed forces and enhance their defense capabilities in the face of increasing Iranian threats.
“Yedioth Ahronoth” believes that the completion of this deal would represent a departure from the traditional American policy that has refrained for decades from selling F-35 fighters to any Arab country, in order to maintain the so-called “qualitative military edge” of Israel, which is still the only country in the Middle East that possesses this type of advanced combat aircraft.
The report indicates that the Israeli Air Force possesses a fleet of F-35I aircraft known as “Adir,” which is considered the cornerstone of its air combat capabilities, and has already been used in offensive operations against Iranian and Syrian targets. The number of these fighters in the Israeli fleet is expected to rise to 75 in the coming years, with the addition of locally made technologies and upgrades.
The newspaper mentioned that Saudi Arabia, which had previously expressed interest in purchasing these fighters alongside the United Arab Emirates, faced previous American rejection due to concerns about destabilizing the military balance in the region. However, the current Trump administration is showing greater openness to defense cooperation with Riyadh, especially after signing the security cooperation agreement between the two countries last May worth $142 billion, which was described as “the largest defense deal in the history of the United States.”
“Yedioth Ahronoth” expected that the F-35 deal would face opposition within the US Congress, due to concerns related to the Kingdom’s human rights record, its role in the Yemen war, in addition to the repercussions of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which continues to affect relations between Washington and Riyadh.
Despite this, the newspaper indicates that Saudi Arabia is continuing its plans to modernize its air force and replace the old “Tornado” aircraft. It is also considering other options, including European “Typhoon” fighters, French “Rafale” fighters, or modern American F-15EX Eagle II aircraft that were offered to it in May 2024. According to “Boeing”, the F-15EX model “integrates perfectly with the current Saudi fleet with a 95% compatibility rate.”
The newspaper believes that the potential deal, if completed, would be an important step in modernizing the Saudi Air Force and strengthening its position as one of the most powerful air forces in the Middle East, and may also pave the way for the Kingdom to join the “Abraham Accords” supported by Washington between Israel and a number of Arab countries.
“Yedioth Ahronoth” concludes its report by pointing out that the road ahead for Riyadh to obtain F-35 aircraft has become easier than ever, thanks to the unprecedented rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and the clear support from the Trump administration, expecting that a flexible way will be reached to implement the deal, whether by delivering modified, less developed versions or used aircraft, to make Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to possess this advanced fighter aircraft.
