(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will acquire "top of the line" F-35 stealth fighter jets, a move that appears to challenge Israeli objections over potential erosion of Tel Aviv's regional military superiority.

The president indicated the aircraft destined for Riyadh will be "pretty similar" to versions delivered to Israel, characterizing both countries as "great" American 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 issued a sharp rebuke Monday regarding Trump's proposed sale of the fifth-generation stealth aircraft to Riyadh, warning 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."

ZOA referenced 22 US Code § 2776(h), a statutory provision requiring Washington to preserve Israel's capacity to counter regional adversaries with minimal casualties.

The organization contends that authorizing Saudi Arabia's reported request for 48 F-35s—a figure allegedly surpassing Israel's existing inventory—would fundamentally violate this legal mandate.

Historic US policy has involved deliberations over advanced weaponry sales to Gulf nations, though Washington has conventionally limited such transactions to safeguard Israel's decisive military supremacy.

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