Controversy surrounds US plan to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia

The Trump administration has approved the sale of about 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a change in US policy that has raised concerns among some members of Congress.

Saudi Arabia has long been trying to buy the world's most advanced fighter jet, which has advanced stealth technology that can evade enemy radar. The United States has been blocking Saudi Arabia's efforts so far.

Because their ally Israel is also supplied with F-35 fighter jets. And under US law, Israel is guaranteed that it will receive more advanced weapons than the American weapons that its regional neighbors are entitled to.

Congress has 30 days to review or block the $24 billion arms sale to Riyadh, the largest buyer of US weapons.

Representative Raja Krishnamurthy, a Democrat from Illinois, opposed the arms sale on Thursday, warning that it could put a treasure trove of American military technology within the reach of the Communist Party of China.

Other Democratic lawmakers and some US defense officials have expressed similar concerns about giving F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

They said Riyadh could trade this sensitive technology with China thanks to the security partnership between China and Saudi Arabia.

However, when announcing the agreement on Thursday, the State Department said it would support US foreign policy and national security objectives.

In a statement, the State Department said the agreement would improve the security of a key non-NATO ally, which is a driver of political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region.

The State Department added that the proposed transfer of equipment and assistance would not change the military balance in the region.

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

The two also met in Riyadh in May last year, where a $142 billion arms deal was signed - what the White House described as the 'largest defense sales deal in history'.

The proposed new sale to Saudi Arabia includes 48 F-35 fighter jets made by arms maker Lockheed Martin, bringing the country into line with Israel, which currently has 50 fighter jets in its fleet. However, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced in May that it would buy another squadron of F-35s.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the deal will double Israel's F-35 fleet to 100. Just one Lockheed Martin F-35A jet costs about $82.5 million.

Congress questioned previous arms deals with Riyadh after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The administration of former US President Joe Biden considered supplying F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on the condition that Riyadh normalize relations with Israel, but that diplomatic effort failed.

The arms sale proposal comes as Saudi Arabia is engaged in a war with the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of western Yemen.
The Houthis recently seized control of a large area of ​​Yemen's Red Sea coast from Saudi-backed pro-government forces.

The BBC's US media partner CBS News, citing two sources familiar with the matter, said the Saudi crown prince had personally pressed Trump to take military action against the Houthis. However, the sources said Trump had so far refrained from directly involving the US military.