The US administration is studying a Saudi request to obtain 48 F-35 fighter jets

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a Saudi request to purchase up to 48 F-35 fighter jets.

According to US officials, the potential multi-billion-dollar deal cleared a major hurdle at the Pentagon ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit.

This deal would represent a major policy shift, potentially altering the military balance in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge.

Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal earlier this year to US President Donald Trump and has long been interested in a Lockheed Martin deal, according to a US official.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is currently considering the sale of 48 advanced aircraft, but hasn’t previously disclosed the size or status of the order.

The officials stated that no final decision has been made yet and several more steps are needed before final approval, including further cabinet-level approvals, Trump’s signature, and notification to Congress.

The Pentagon’s policy division has been working on the potential deal for months, and the issue has now reached the level of the defense secretary, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In response, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson stated that military sales are transactions between governments and that Washington is the best place to address this issue.

Washington assesses arms sales to the Middle East in a way that ensures Israel maintains a qualitative military edge, meaning that Israel receives more advanced US weapons than the Arab states in the region.

The F-35, designed with stealth technology that enables it to evade enemy radars, is considered the most advanced fighter jet in the world.

Israel has operated this aircraft for nearly a decade, building multiple squadrons, and remains the only country in the Middle East to possess this weapons system.

Saudi Arabia, the largest buyer of US weapons, has sought to acquire this fighter jet for years, in an effort to modernize its air force and counter regional threats.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia renewed bid to acquire what would constitute two squadrons comes at a time when the Trump administration has shown openness to deepening defense cooperation with Riyadh.

The Saudi Air Force operates a mix of fighter aircraft including Boeing aircraft, F-15s, European Tornados, and Typhoons.

Obtaining F-35 became intertwined with broader diplomatic efforts, as the Biden’s administration had previously explored supplying Saudi Arabia with F-35 aircraft as part of a comprehensive deal that would have included Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel, but these efforts ultimately faltered.

Trump has made arms sales to Saudi Arabia a priority since returning to office.

In May, the United States approved a nearly $142 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which the White House described as the largest defense cooperation agreement Washington has ever made.

This potential deal comes as Saudi Arabia pursues ambitious economic and military modernization plans under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2023, noting that Riyadh has sought to diversify its defense partnerships in recent years while maintaining its decades-long security relationship with Washington.