US Approves $24.3B F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia, First for Arab World
✈️ RIYADH — Washington arms its most oil-critical ally while Yanbu still burns. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: State Dept approval triggers congressional review — but timing signals Washington locking in Riyadh before any deal reshapes the region. With Yanbu struck and nuclear files under Senate pressure, the F-35 is the binding agent: Saudi gets fifth-gen air power, Washington gets oil and Iran containment. Israel's qualitative edge doctrine takes a hit.
