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Trump Signals Support for Saudi Purchase of U.S. F-35 Jets. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he intends to greenlight Saudi Arabia's request to buy American-made F-35 stealth fighters, just one day before hosting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump told reporters the U.S. would move forward with the sale. Saudi Arabia has asked to purchase up to 48 F-35s — a multibillion-dollar deal that recently passed a key Pentagon review. Riyadh has long pushed for the aircraft as part of its effort to modernize its air force and bolster defenses against regional rivals, especially Iran.Approving the sale would mark a major shift in U.S. policy and raise fresh questions about how Washington maintains Israel's long-standing "qualitative military edge" in the region. Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern nation operating the F-35, with several squadrons already in service. Any final agreement could face resistance in Congress, where some lawmakers remain skeptical of expanding arms sales to Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other human-rights concerns.
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