Trump says Saudi F-35s will be 'top of the line' despite Israeli objections

Saudi Arabia will purchase "top of the line" F-35 stealth fighter jets, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, apparently bucking Israeli concerns that the sale could erode Tel Aviv's regional military edge.

Trump said the jets he plans to sell to Riyadh will be "pretty similar" to the models sold to Israel, saying both nations are "great" US allies.

"I know they'd like you to get planes of reduced caliber. I don't think that makes you too happy," Trump told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he hosted Saudi Arabia's de facto leader at the White House.

"They've been a great ally. Israel's been a great ally, and we're looking at that exactly right now. But as far as I'm concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line," he added.

The Zionist Organization of America on Monday sharply criticized Trump's plan to sell the fifth-generation stealth jets to Riyadh, saying it "would substantially impair Israel's qualitative military edge and would put extremely sensitive American technology within reach of regimes that are hostile to US interests."

The group cited a section of US law known as 22 US Code § 2776(h), which obligates Washington to maintain Israel's ability to confront regional threats with minimal losses.

According to ZOA, approving Saudi Arabia's request for 48 F-35s, reportedly exceeding Israel's current fleet, would directly contradict this requirement.

Successive US administrations have considered selling advanced weapons to Gulf states, but Washington has traditionally restricted such transfers to ensure Israel retains a decisive military advantage.