Tel Aviv – PNN – Circles within the Israeli security establishment have expressed serious concerns that a U.S. sale of advanced F-35 aircraft to Saudi Arabia could undermine Israel’s aerial superiority in the Middle East.

The newspaper Haaretz quoted senior security officials as saying that the potential deal could provide the Saudi military with qualitative capabilities that Israel relies on in its operations—especially if the aircraft include systems and software similar to those integrated into the Israeli version.

Israel views this move as a “strategic threat” and fears it may prompt the U.S. administration to reconsider the long-standing policy of maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge while allowing advanced weapons sales to Arab states only when that edge remains protected.

In Washington, White House sources told the Associated Press that President Donald Trump is currently not enthusiastic about signing the deal. However, the unpredictability of his decisions leaves the door open to possible approval, especially if Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman manages to persuade him in their upcoming meeting.

The sources confirmed that the U.S. administration remains cautious about any step that could weaken Israel’s superiority, particularly given Trump’s reliance on Israeli support to advance his Gaza peace plan.

Washington also has additional concerns about the possibility of F-35 technology leaking to China, given Beijing’s extensive ties with Riyadh—concerns similar to those that previously delayed the F-35 sale to the UAE.

Last week, The New York Times revealed a Pentagon intelligence report warning of potential risks to the aircraft’s sensitive technology if sold to Saudi Arabia.

Despite these reservations, Trump recently stated that he is considering approving the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, noting Riyadh’s desire to purchase a “very large number” of them. He also expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would soon join the “Abraham Accords.”

In a related development, the Financial Times reported that Riyadh is exploring a defense agreement with the Trump administration that could include enhanced military and intelligence cooperation and would treat any attack on Saudi Arabia as a direct threat to U.S. security.