Why US plan to sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia is controversial

ByTom Bateman State department correspondent. 18 September 2026, 01: 42 BST.

Key points

• 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.
• Congress has 30 days to scrutinise or attempt to block the $24bn (£17.8bn) sale to Riyadh.
• This accord would double the size of Israel's F-35 fleet to 100, according to the Jerusalem Post, external.
• Congress has previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
• Other Democratic lawmakers and some American defence authorities have raised similar worries regarding giving F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

President Donald Trump's administration notes it has approved the sale of almost 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a policy shift for the US that has triggered concern from some members of Congress.

Saudi Arabia has sought for years to purchase the world's most advanced warplane, equipped with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection.

Washington had resisted, partly since it supplies F-35s to its ally Israel. It is guaranteed under US law to receive top-of-the-range American weapons compared with those its regional neighbours can access.

Congress has 30 days to scrutinise or attempt to block the $24bn (£17.8bn) sale to Riyadh. It is the largest customer for US weapons.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, a Democrat, resisted the sale on Thursday.

He cautioned "it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party".

They remarked Riyadh might share the sensitive technology with China under a security partnership between the two countries.

For context, the state department remarked in announcing the agreement on Thursday that it would backing US "foreign policy and national security objectives".

It remarked the agreement would improve "the security of a major non-Nato ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region".

"The proposed ⁠sale of this equipment and support will not alter the military ⁠balance in the region, " the state department continued.

Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This person visited the White House last November.

For context, the two additionally 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".

In practice, the latest proposed sale confirmed to Saudi Arabia would include 48 F-35s. It are built by the arms business Lockheed Martin.

This would place the country on a level with Israel. It at present has a fleet of 50 jets.

Nevertheless, Israel's ministry of foreign affairs unveiled in May, external that it would procure another F-35 squadron.

This accord would double the size of Israel's F-35 fleet to 100, according to the Jerusalem Post, external. Just one of Lockheed Martin's F-35A jets costs regarding $82.5m.

Meanwhile, the proposed sale comes as the Saudis are engaged in fighting with the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of western Yemen.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have lately seized control of swathes of Yemen's Red Sea coast from Saudi-backed pro-government forces.

Notably, the Saudi crown prince has personally pressed Trump to take military action against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter informed CBS News, the BBC's US media partner.

But Trump has so far declined to involve the US military directly, the sources remarked. Extra reporting by Sareen Habeshian.

Taken together, the developments around why US plan to sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia is controversial point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.