President Donald Trump says he’s taking a close look at whether the U.S. should sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, per NDTV World. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he explained that Saudi Arabia “wanna buy a lot of jets,” adding, “They asked me to look at it.” Apparently, Trump is leaning toward backing the sale but wants to speak with the Crown Prince first.
According to The New York Times, Trump told reporters, “We will be doing that, we’ll be selling F-35s.” He added, “Look at the Iran situation, what we did in terms of obliterating, we obliterated their nuclear capability.”
⚡️#BREAKING Trump confirms: US will sell F35 jets to Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/id2tMngbeB
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) November 17, 2025
The timing matters because Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to visit the White House soon. For Trump, that meeting is part of what he says is a broader effort to strengthen U.S.-Saudi ties. In the NDTV report, Trump indicated that it was “more than meeting, we’re honoring” Saudi Arabia and that they were a “great ally.”
The two countries are looking at coming to agreement on several economic and defense policies. The F-35 agreement is just one of the deals that they’re looking at. In fact, Trump said that he hoped that the Middle Eastern country would also undersign the Abraham Accords.
But selling F-35s isn’t like selling ordinary military equipment. These jets are among the most advanced aircraft the U.S. has ever produced, used for stealth missions, precision attacks, and intelligence gathering. That’s why any talk of sharing them with another country, even a partner like Saudi Arabia, comes with big questions.
The Art Of The Deal: Saudi Arabia Reluctantly Accepts Trump’s Offer To Sell Them 35 F-150s instead of 150 F-35s pic.twitter.com/DORIFMd2rL
— Associated Fress (@AssociatedFress) November 17, 2025
Per Reuters, the U.S. normally restricts who can get F-35s to make sure the balance of power in the Middle East stays stable. The New York Times also indicated that a Pentagon report pointed out that if the U.S. sold the jets to Saudi Arabia, China would be able to access the F-35 technology. This is because Beijing and Riyadh have a security treaty.
One of the biggest concerns centers on Israel. For decades, U.S. policy has been to protect Israel’s “qualitative military edge.”Simply put, Israel must have access to the best American technology before anyone else in the region. If Saudi Arabia receives F-35s, that balance could shift, and lawmakers will likely demand clear guarantees that Israel’s advantage will still remain.
🚨⚡Reporter:
Will you be meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince next week?
Trump: More than just a meeting. We honor and respect the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince. pic.twitter.com/Z46h1ZeUTN
— MOSCOW NEWS 🇷🇺 (@MOSCOW_EN) November 15, 2025
Saudi Arabia has been trying to buy F-35s for years, and the Crown Prince is expected to push the request again when he arrives in Washington. For the Saudis, securing the jets would be a major step toward modernizing their military and expanding their role in regional security. For Trump, approving the sale could strengthen ties with Riyadh.
According to AP News, Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said, “Let’s hope that President Trump makes clear that the first F-35 will not be delivered until Saudi Arabia normalizes relations with Israel.” He continued, “Otherwise, the president will undercut his own leverage.”
Whether Trump ultimately approves the sale remains unclear, but the conversation is already heating up.Even with those concerns, Trump sounds more open to the idea than previous administrations. The key question is why he would be more willing to go where other administrations have been hesitant.
