US President Donald Trump has said that he is considering agreeing to a deal to supply Saudi Arabia with F-35 stealth fighter jets, which are made by Lockheed Martin.
The potential sale comes as President Trump plans to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House next week, when they are expected to sign economic and defense agreements.
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 US President reiterated that he hoped Saudi would soon join the Abraham Accords, which have normalised relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.
The 2020 Abraham Accords were signed by many Muslim countries that normalizing ties with Israel, but Riyadh has signalled to Washington through diplomatic channels that it will sign up only if there is agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood.