The United States will move forward with plans to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday ahead of a closely watched White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35 jets,” Trump told reporters. “They’ve been a great ally.”

The crown prince’s visit marks his first trip to the White House since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. A U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the operation—an allegation he continues to deny.

Prince Mohammed last visited Washington in 2018 during Trump’s previous term, and his return signals a renewed warming of relations. President Joe Biden had initially kept the crown prince at arm’s length, declaring he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over its human rights record, before later travelling to Jeddah in 2022 for talks on energy and regional security.

Tuesday’s discussions are expected to focus on defence cooperation, civilian nuclear technology, and expanding strategic ties. The visit follows Trump’s May trip to Riyadh, where the two leaders announced nearly $142 billion (£107 billion) in new weapons purchases—part of what the White House described as a record-setting $600 billion investment package. Saudi Arabia remains the largest buyer of U.S. arms globally.

Despite strong backing from the White House, some U.S. defence officials have raised concerns about transferring the F-35—the most advanced fighter jet in the American arsenal—to Riyadh. They warn that sharing the aircraft could jeopardize sensitive stealth technology, particularly given Saudi Arabia’s growing security cooperation with China.

Israel—currently the only Middle Eastern nation operating the F-35—is also uneasy. Officials fear that providing the jets to Saudi Arabia may erode Israel’s U.S.-guaranteed qualitative military edge.

An F-35A costs about $82.5 million per unit, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Trump is expected to urge the crown prince to join the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, which normalized ties between Israel and several Arab states. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly insisted it will only consider recognition if there is a credible pathway toward the creation of a Palestinian state—an outcome rejected by Israel’s current government.

The high-stakes meeting is poised to influence the future of regional alliances, security dynamics, and diplomatic engagement across the Middle East, as Washington and Riyadh test the limits of deeper cooperation despite lingering distrust.