The Trump administration has approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia as Iran-backed Houthi forces escalate attacks on the kingdom. Congress now has 30 days to review the deal, and some lawmakers are already raising concerns over the potential transfer of sensitive U.S. military technology to China.
Nearly 50 of Lockheed Martin's F-35 warplanes are covered under the package, which also includes 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and other parts. The State Department announced the deal on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia faces intensifying attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have recently ramped up strikes on the kingdom and launched a ground offensive to seize control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically vital oil choke point.
State Department cites regional stability
According to the State Department: "improving the security of a major non-NATO ally" was among the goals behind the sale.
Officials said the deal would help Riyadh deter current and future threats but would not alter the region's military balance, a reference to the longstanding U.S. policy that Israel maintain a military edge over potential rivals in the Middle East.
Congress raises China concerns
Lawmakers now have 30 days to scrutinize or attempt to block the deal, and some have already objected. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said the U.S. should not proceed at a time when the intelligence community warns the sale could put the "crown jewels" of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party.
He added on social media that the U.S. must not sell its most advanced fighter jet anywhere the CCP could access the technology inside it. Congress has previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Part of a broader defense push
The F-35 sale follows Trump's pledge last May that Saudi Arabia would invest $600 billion across a series of deals with the U.S., which included a nearly $142 billion defense sales agreement covering equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms. Trump, who has built a close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, hosted the crown prince at the White House in November.
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