In the long contest between arms and allegiance, the United States has asked Congress to approve the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia — its most advanced warplane — for $24.3 billion. The request arrives as the kingdom fights a grinding war against Yemen's Houthis, who now claim to have brought down a Saudi jet, and as Riyadh quietly builds new security ties with Ankara and Islamabad. The decision forces a reckoning that empires have always faced: whether arming a partner strengthens the alliance or, in a world of entangled rivalries, ultimately arms an adversary.
Trump administration seeks congressional approval for $24.3bn F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia
At least five people, including three children, were killed in intensifying fighting between Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces on the day of the announcement.