U.S President Donald Trump said that both Israel and Saudi Arabia are “great” allies, as he confirmed that the United States would sell Riyadh F-35 fighter jets that are “pretty similar” to those that Israel operates.
Trump made the comments during an Oval Office session with reporters on Tuesday alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump said that Israel is aware of the arrangement, which he first announced in broader terms on Monday.
Israel would “like you to get planes of reduced caliber,” Trump told the Saudi prince, as reporters looked on. “I don’t think that makes you too happy.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line,” Trump said of Jerusalem and Riyadh. “We’re going to have a deal. They’re going to purchase F-35s.”
Trump would not confirm reports that Israel requested that Trump condition the F-35 sale to Riyadh on the kingdom normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel.
All Trump would say about the emerging sale to Saudi Arabia is that “Israel is aware, and they’re going to be very happy.”
