Saudi Arabia Also Shaken by Iran War; U.S. Approves Sale of 48 F-35s

【Financial News, New York — Correspondent Lee Byung-cheol】 The United States has approved a $24.3 billion (approximately 34 trillion won) weapons package to sell Saudi Arabia the F-35, the world's most advanced stealth fighter. As the war between the United States and Iran drags on and even Saudi Arabia's key oil facilities come under threat, Washington is moving to strengthen the air defenses and deterrence capabilities of a key Middle Eastern ally. However, concerns in the United States that advanced F-35 technology could leak to China mean Congress remains the final hurdle before the sale can proceed.
The U.S. State Department approved a plan on the 17th, local time, to sell Saudi Arabia Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. The total program could be worth up to $24.3 billion and includes 48 F-35s, 49 Pratt & Whitney engines, communications equipment, spare parts and various support systems.
The State Department said the sale would help strengthen Saudi Arabia's ability to defend its territory, improve interoperability with U.S. forces and regional allies, and deter current and future threats. It also stated that the sale would not alter the military balance in the Middle East.
The decision came as Saudi Arabia faced a direct security threat amid the war between the United States and Iran. Saudi Arabia has recently been hit by a series of attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iraqi Shiite militias. Attacks also targeted a key crude oil export pipeline, forcing its operations to stop and causing mounting economic damage, including a sharp rise in global oil prices.
The United States has rapidly expanded arms supplies to Saudi Arabia since the Iran war began. Earlier this month, it approved a $5 billion weapons sale that included 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). Last July, it also approved a $2 billion sale that included 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS). Washington has approved weapons sales worth billions of dollars for other Gulf allies as well.
The issue is that the F-35 embodies some of the United States' most advanced military technology. As military and security cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China expands, U.S. intelligence officials have voiced concerns that the F-35's core technologies could be transferred to China. If Saudi Arabia actually acquires the F-35, it would become the second country in the Middle East after Israel to operate the aircraft, making the decision a significant shift from the United States' existing arms export policy in the region.
Opposition has also emerged in the U.S. Congress. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, argued that the sale could threaten U.S. national security. He said China has long sought to obtain U.S. technology to narrow its technological gap with the United States, adding that Washington should not sell its most advanced fighter jet to a country where China could gain access to the F-35's internal technology.
The State Department's approval does not mean that F-35s will be delivered immediately. The approval authorizes a process allowing the sale of up to 48 aircraft, while the final price and quantity may change during future negotiations. Congress also retains procedures to review and block the sale.




[email protected] Correspondent Lee Byung-cheol Reporter