Trump and MBS set to sign major defense deals, including potential F-35 sale, as U.S. pushes Saudi-Israel normalization under Abraham Accords.
The White House is preparing for a blockbuster diplomatic moment: U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a sweeping series of agreements with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — including a dramatic step that could reshape Middle Eastern power dynamics. According to a senior administration official speaking to Bloomberg, Trump is preparing to greenlight Riyadh’s long-sought purchase of advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets.
The fifth-generation aircraft, valued at roughly $100 million each, are currently operated exclusively by Israel in the region — a critical pillar of the Jewish state’s qualitative military edge. The potential sale to Riyadh represents a major concession by Washington as it intensifies efforts to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.
The Trump-MBS meeting, scheduled for Tuesday at the White House, is expected to produce multiple defense and economic agreements, including a U.S.–Saudi deal for liquefied natural gas. Other discussions will reportedly include access to AI chips, cooperation on nuclear technology, the future governance of Gaza, and the long-term prospects of Israeli–Saudi ties.
Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that expanding F-35 access could erode Israel’s air superiority — one of the state’s most vital strategic assets. Jerusalem is watching closely, aware that any shift in U.S. policy must safeguard Israel’s edge, especially as regional threats from Iran and its proxies escalate.
The White House is keeping quiet, but U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted this week that “some good deals” are coming when MBS lands in Washington. The visit is widely viewed as part of Trump’s renewed push to expand the Abraham Accords, the historic normalization framework he brokered between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly insisted that creation of a Palestinian state is its price for formal normalization — a demand the kingdom has not backed away from. Yet senior Saudi royals recently admitted that while normalization is “not currently on the agenda,” Washington is expected to make substantial diplomatic moves to revive the process.
If Trump succeeds, the Israel–Saudi breakthrough long considered the “crown jewel” of Middle East diplomacy may finally be within reach — but at a cost that raises sensitive questions about preserving Israel’s unrivaled defensive edge.
