President Trump announced Monday that the US will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, signaling a renewed embrace of the kingdom ahead of a White House meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump offered no details about the pending arms deal, but the move is widely seen as a sign that the White House has moved past concerns about Saudi Arabia's role in the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Wall Street Journal reports. The sale has sparked unease among some US officials and regional analysts, who worry that providing Saudi Arabia with cutting-edge American weaponry could undermine Israel's longstanding military edge in the Middle East.
Critics argue that moving forward with the sale without securing progress on Saudi-Israeli normalization risks squandering US leverage in the region. "Having these things end up in the Saudi order of battle several years hence without normalization would be a misuse of American leverage," said John Hannah, a former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney now with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
Israel's air force already operates the F-35 and has used it in strikes across the region, including against targets in Iran. The US is legally obligated to help maintain Israel's "qualitative military edge" under a policy enshrined in congressional legislation. The White House did not clarify how the sale might affect that commitment or what assurances, if any, are being offered to Israel. While announcing the F-35 move, Trump did tell reporters Saudi Arabia has been "a great ally," Politico reports.
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Also unclear is just how long it might take to boost production of F-35s to the numbers needed in order to provide Saudi Arabia with the jets, not to mention train the pilots who will eventually fly them. Another concern raised by some administration officials, per the AP: China, which has close ties to Saudi Arabia, could gain access to the technology behind the jet's advanced weapons system.
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