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Why Trump’s F-35 deal with Saudi is worrying Israel

By Sohail Khan 21 September 2026, 3:27 pm

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Business News›News›Trending›Why Trump's $24.3 billion F-35 deal with Saudi Arabia is giving sleepless nights to Israel and US

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Why Trump's $24.3 billion F-35 deal with Saudi Arabia is giving sleepless nights to Israel and US
Synopsis

Trump administration has approved a possible $24.3 billion sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a deal that still needs congressional review. If it goes through, Saudi Arabia would become only the second country in the Middle East after Israel to operate the F-35, and that possibility has revived old anxieties in Israel about losing its military edge, alongside fresh US concerns over Saudi Arabia's growing ties with China.

Trump administration has given its approval for a possible $24.3 billion sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, putting a long-pursued defence deal on a new track. The proposed package includes 48 aircraft and 49 engines, though the sale is not final and still has to clear congressional review before it can move forward.

If the deal is approved, Saudi Arabia would become only the second country in the Middle East to fly the F-35, after Israel, a shift that has already stirred deep unease in Tel Aviv and drawn fresh scrutiny in Washington over what it could mean for the region's military balance.

Why this deal has Israel worried

Israel has operated the F-35 for years and has long maintained that keeping its qualitative military edge intact is essential to its security. Being the only Middle East nation flying the jet has been part of that edge, and the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining that list has reignited fears that this advantage could erode.

The Trump administration has argued that the sale would not disturb the regional military balance, saying the aircraft and systems supplied to Saudi Arabia could differ from Israel's own F-35 configuration, which includes country specific modifications and capabilities not offered to other buyers. Despite this, CNN reported that Israeli concerns over the potential consequences of the transfer remain.

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Why China's role is fuelling US concerns

Alongside Israel's worries, the deal has renewed scrutiny in Washington over Saudi Arabia's growing relationship with China. Saudi Arabia has expanded its economic, technological and military ties with Beijing in recent years, and US officials and intelligence agencies have raised questions about whether this relationship, or China's access to Saudi facilities, could put sensitive F-35 technology at risk.

This is not the first time such concerns have shaped a Middle East F-35 deal. The United Arab Emirates was previously offered F-35 jets, but that proposed acquisition eventually stalled amid US concerns over UAE's relationship with China and the protection of American technology. Officials are now watching whether Saudi Arabia's case follows a similar trajectory, or manages to move past the same hurdles that derailed the UAE deal.

What happens next in Congress

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Even with the Trump administration's approval, the deal is far from settled. Congress can still review the sale and raise objections, and lawmakers are expected to weigh more than the price tag alone. The debate could touch on Israel's security concerns, Saudi Arabia's ties with China, and the kingdom's wider record, all factors that could influence how far this expansion of US military cooperation with Riyadh is allowed to go.

The F-35 itself is one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the US arsenal, a fifth-generation jet built around stealth, advanced sensors and networked warfare capabilities. Its possible transfer to Saudi Arabia would mark a major upgrade to the kingdom's air force and a significant expansion of its air warfare capabilities.

This latest proposal also builds on a much larger defence relationship. According to Reuters, the Trump administration had already agreed to a separate $142 billion defence package with Saudi Arabia in 2025, making the F-35 sale another major layer in an already deepening US Saudi defence partnership, one that Israel and lawmakers alike are now watching closely.

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