Trump says he is considering F-35 fighter jet deal with Saudis

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is considering agreeing to a deal to supply Saudi Arabia with F-35 stealth fighter jets, which are made by Lockheed Martin.

“They wanna buy a lot of jets,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

“I’m looking at that. They’ve asked me to look at it. They want to buy a lot of ‘35’ - but they want to buy actually more than that, fighter jets.”

The potential sale comes as Trump plans to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House next week, when they are expected to sign economic and defence agreements.

Saudi crown prince to meet Trump in Washington next month

Asked about the talks, Trump told reporters it was “more than a meeting, we’re honouring” Saudi Arabia.

He repeated that he hoped Saudi Arabia would soon join the Abraham Accords, which have normalised relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations. Riyadh has resisted such a step absent agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood.

A Pentagon intelligence report has raised concerns over the potential F-35 deal, warning that China could acquire the aircraft’s technology if the sale proceeds, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the assessment.