Trump says he will approve sale of F-35 fighter jet to Saudi Arabia

US president signals large arms woody up of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s sojourn to the White House.

United States President Donald Trump has said helium volition greenlight the merchantability of precocious F-35 combatant jets to Saudi Arabia, signaling a notable departure successful however Washington handles blase weapons transfers to Arab countries.

Trump made the announcement connected Monday astatine the White House, conscionable 1 time earlier Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is owed to visit. “We’ll beryllium selling F-35s,” the president told reporters, lauding Washington’s ties with Riyadh.

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 “Yeah, I americium readying connected doing it. They privation to bargain them. They’ve been a large ally,” Trump said.

The determination marks a important triumph for Riyadh arsenic Trump works to person Saudi Arabia to found authoritative ties with Israel arsenic portion of the alleged Abraham Accords.

But Saudi officials person repeatedly re-asserted the kingdom’s committedness to the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions designation of Israel connected the constitution of a viable Palestinian state.

The imaginable arms woody betwixt Washington and Riyadh raises questions astir preserving Israel’s qualitative subject edge, which is enshrined successful US law. Some Israeli officials person already voiced absorption to the transportation of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia.