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President Trump’s administration approved the sale of nearly 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for $24 billion, a move Congress will review over the next 30 days. Critics like Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi argue this could expose sensitive American military technology to China due to Saudi Arabia's security partnerships with them. The State Department defends the sale, claiming it supports US foreign policy and regional stability in the Gulf.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 17, 2026, the U.S. State Department approved the potential $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, along with 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and related equipment. This decision marks a significant policy shift from Washington, potentially altering the military balance in the Middle East and testing U.S. commitments to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge over regional adversaries. Saudi Arabia had long sought these aircraft, first making a direct appeal to President Donald Trump early in 2025.
The sale includes communications equipment, spare parts, and other support items aimed at enhancing Saudi Arabia’s homeland defense capabilities and improving interoperability with U.S. forces. However, it has raised concerns among Israeli officials who are the only Middle Eastern country currently operating F-35s. Additionally, some U.S. lawmakers, such as Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, have expressed worry that China could potentially gain access to sensitive American military technology through its partnerships with Saudi Arabia.
Written for “F_35_Sale_to_Saudi_Arabia” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but every quote it verified points left, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 17583: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-09-18
- Published
President Donald Trump's administration says it has approved the sale of nearly 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a policy shift for the US that has raised concerns from some members of Congress.
asserted
that → publish → Congress
Saudi Arabia has sought for years to buy the world's most advanced warplane, equipped with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection.
asserted
it → seek → detection
Washington had resisted, partly because it supplies F-35s to its ally Israel, which is guaranteed under US law to receive top-of-the-range American weapons compared with those its regional neighbours can access.
asserted
neighbours → resist → those
Congress has 30 days to scrutinise or attempt to block the $24bn (£17.8bn) sale to Riyadh, which is the largest customer for US weapons.
asserted
which → have → weapons
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, a Democrat, opposed the sale on Thursday.
He warned "it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party".
uncertain
it → oppose → Party
Other Democratic lawmakers and some American defence officials have raised similar concerns about giving F-35s to Saudi Arabia.
asserted
lawmakers → raise → Arabia
They said Riyadh might share the sensitive technology with China under a security partnership between the two countries.
uncertain
Riyadh → say → countries
The state department said in announcing the deal on Thursday that it would support US "foreign policy and national security objectives".
asserted
it → say → objectives
It said the deal would improve "the security of a major non-Nato ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region".
asserted
that → say → region
"The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the military balance in the region," the state department added.
asserted
department → propose → region
Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited the White House last November.
asserted
who → have → House
The two also met in May last year in Riyadh, where a $142bn arms sale was sealed – described by the White House as the "largest defence sales agreement in history".
uncertain
sale → meet → history
The latest proposed sale announced to Saudi Arabia would include 48 F-35s, which are built by the arms company Lockheed Martin.
asserted
which → propose → company
This would place the country on a level with Israel, which currently has a fleet of 50 jets.
asserted
which → place → jets
However, Israel's ministry of foreign affairs announced in May, external that it would procure another F-35 squadron.
uncertain
it → announce → squadron
This deal would double the size of Israel's F-35 fleet to 100, according to the Jerusalem Post, external.
uncertain
deal → double → Post
Just one of Lockheed Martin's F-35A jets costs about $82.5m.
Congress has previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
asserted
Congress → cost → 2018
Former US President Joe Biden's administration considered supplying F-35s to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh would normalise its relations with Israel, but that diplomatic effort faltered.
asserted
effort → consider → Israel
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