Trump Considers Sale of F-35 Fighter Jets to Saudi Arabia Ahead of Crown Prince's White House Visit

President Donald Trump revealed Friday that he is evaluating a potential agreement to provide Saudi Arabia with Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter jets.

"They wanna buy a lot of jets," Trump stated to reporters while 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."

This possible arms deal coincides with Trump's upcoming White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week, where they are expected to formalize economic and defense agreements.

When questioned about the upcoming talks, Trump emphasized it was "more than meeting, we're honoring" Saudi Arabia.

The President reiterated his hope that Saudi Arabia would soon join the Abraham Accords, the agreements normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority nations. Saudi Arabia has thus far resisted such normalization without a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood.

The New York Times reported Thursday that a Pentagon intelligence assessment has expressed concerns about this potential F-35 sale, warning that China might gain access to the aircraft's advanced technology if the deal moves forward. The report cited sources familiar with the intelligence evaluation.

Washington continues to navigate the complex geopolitical implications of such a significant military technology transfer to the Middle Eastern kingdom.