Saudi Arabia's request to buy F-35 jets clears key Pentagon hurdle — Reuters

The Trump administration is considering a Saudi Arabian request to buy as many as 48 F-35 fighter jets, a potential multi-billion-dollar deal that has cleared a key Pentagon hurdle ahead of a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, two sources familiar with the matter said.

A sale would mark a significant policy shift, potentially altering the military balance in the Middle East and testing Washington's definition of maintaining Israel's "qualitative military edge."

Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal earlier this year to U.S. President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin's fighter, one of the people and a U.S. official said. The Pentagon is now weighing a potential sale of 48 of the advanced aircraft, the U.S. official and the person familiar with the talks told Reuters. The size of the request and its status have not been previously reported.

The U.S. official and a second U.S. official, who acknowledged the weapons deal was moving through the system, said no final decision has been made and several more steps are needed before the ultimate nod, including further approvals at the Cabinet level, sign-off from Trump and notification of Congress.

The Pentagon's policy department worked on the potential transaction for months, and the case has now progressed to the secretary level within the Defense Department, according to one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon, White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said military sales are government-to-government transactions and the matter is best addressed by Washington.

Reuters