On May 14, 2025, Arab news website Arab Defense reported that Saudi Arabia had opened talks with the United States over the possible purchase of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter jets, two anonymous sources involved in the talks told Reuters. They said Riyadh was seeking to modernize its air force amid rapid changes in the Middle East, including tensions with Iran and the military buildup of neighboring countries. The F-35, a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force, is attractive to Saudi Arabia because of its stealth technology, which allows it to evade enemy radar.

Riyadh’s interest in the F-35 is not new: The kingdom was considering buying the jets in 2018, according to Aviation Week, but talks were put on hold over U.S. concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The resumption of talks coincides with Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency in January 2025. Trump, who has been pushing for stronger ties with Riyadh, personally supported the deal during a visit to Saudi Arabia on May 13, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Reuters reported.

However, approval of the deal remains uncertain due to the US commitment to maintain Israel’s qualitative military advantage in the region, enshrined in US law. One of the sources told Reuters that “the issue of Israel’s advantage has been resolved,” implying that Washington might approve the sale if Tel Aviv’s interests are taken into account. Israel, which has operated the F-35 since 2016, has three squadrons of the jets (around 50 units) and plans to buy 25 more, including the F-35B variant with short takeoff and vertical landing.

Saudi Arabia, whose air force has about 200 fighter jets, including the F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon, is looking to upgrade its fleet to counter regional threats such as Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. According to Focus.ua, Riyadh was also considering the French Rafale and Turkish KAAN, but the priority shifted to the F-35 after Trump's inauguration. If the deal goes through, Saudi Arabia would become the second country in the Middle East after Israel to operate the F-35, strengthening its position in the region.