President Donald Trump announced plans to sell Lockheed Martin‘s (NYSE:LMT) F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, potentially reshaping the military dynamics in the Middle East.
Trump Calls Saudi Arabia ‘Great Ally’
The announcement came on Monday, just a day before hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a day of diplomacy.
“I will say that we will be doing that…We’ll be selling the F-35s,” Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office.
The president also added, “They’ve been a great ally. They’ve got to like us very much.”
The potential multibillion-dollar deal, which could see Saudi Arabia acquiring up to 48 F-35 fighters, has already cleared a significant Pentagon hurdle, according to a Reuters report.
See Also: Israel Seeks 20-Year Security Pact With US Featuring ‘America First’ Provisions: Report
Saudi-US Pacts Signal Big Shift
This move comes in the wake of a series of significant defense and economic agreements between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. In May, Trump celebrated a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia into the United States, hailing it as a “golden era” of U.S.-Middle East economic cooperation. This investment was part of a series of multibillion-dollar deals with leading American corporations in tech, defense, and infrastructure.
Furthermore, in October, it was reported that Saudi Arabia was in talks with the Trump administration for a defense agreement that would mirror the U.S.-Qatar pact. This agreement, which encompasses expanded military and intelligence cooperation, is expected to be finalized during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House.
The proposed sale of jets could have far-reaching implications for the Middle East, potentially altering the military balance in the region. The UAE has long sought the F-35 stealth fighter, a purchase approved by the Trump administration during its first term as part of a $23 billion arms package following the UAE's 2020 normalization with Israel.
Talks stalled in 2021 over disagreements with the Biden administration, but it was reported that the UAE would move to restart negotiations if Trump returned to office, asking him to "honor" the original deal.
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