Lawmakers have expressed concerns for years that the move would give China access to sensitive technology.
09/17/2026 8:01 PM UTC
The Trump administration on Thursday agreed to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns from lawmakers and defense officials that it could give China access to highly sensitive technology.
The potential $24 billion deal would provide 48 jets to the kingdom, which has close military ties with Beijing. This would put the country on par with Israel, which has a fleet of 50 jets. But the sale will still need the blessing of a long-skeptical Congress. And it will likely face pushback from Israel, which has long opposed selling the aircraft to the Saudis.
“It could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee.
Israel is the only other country in the Middle East that operates the jets. And the U.S. has long pledged to assist it in maintaining a “qualitative military edge” over other countries in the region, a promise such a deal might threaten.