The U.S. Department of State said Thursday it had approved the potential sale of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.
A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the U.S., potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington's definition of maintaining its ally Israel's "qualitative military edge."
Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal for the jets in early 2025 to U.S. President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin's fighter. But Israel, the only country in the region to operate the jets, has objected to the sale.
The estimated $24.3 billion sale would include 48 of the military aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines along with communications equipment, spare parts and other support items, the State Department said in a statement.
The F-35, built with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, is considered the world's most advanced fighter jet.
"The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defense, and improving interoperability with US forces," the State Department said.
It "will also augment Saudi Arabia's operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air, and air-to-ground self-defense capability," it added.
Saudi Arabia, the largest customer for U.S. arms, has sought the fighter for years as it looks to modernize its air force and counter regional threats, particularly from Iran. The kingdom's renewed push for what would constitute two squadrons comes as the Trump administration has signaled openness to deepening defense cooperation with Riyadh.
The Saudi Air Force flies a mix of fighter aircraft, including Boeing F-15s, European Tornados and Typhoons.
The F-35 issue has also been intertwined with broader diplomatic efforts. The administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden previously explored providing F-35s to Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive deal that would have included Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel, though those efforts ultimately stalled.
Trump has made arms sales to Saudi Arabia a priority since returning to office. In 2025, the United States agreed to sell the kingdom an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, which the White House called "the largest defense cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done.
The State Department has notified Congress about the proposed sale, which would require the approval of U.S. lawmakers.
Saudi Arabia is pursuing ambitious economic and military modernization plans under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 agenda. The kingdom has sought to diversify its defense partnerships in recent years while maintaining its decades-long security relationship with Washington.