Trump Designates Saudi Arabia A Major Non-NATO Ally, Clears Path For F-35 Sale: Should India Be Worried?
Trump has approved a major defence sale package, including future F-35 deliveries. Image courtesy: RNA
US President Donald Trump is hardly someone who shies away from the limelight. This is perhaps why his second term as the POTUS has been roller coaster ride, for geopolitics, if not for him. Now, in yet another development that could bring about a seismic shift in middle east power politics, Trump has designated Saudi Arabia as a major Non-NATO ally.
In one of its most consequential defence realignments in years, United States President Trump on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) announced that Saudi Arabia will be formally designated as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA), a privileged security status shared by just 19 nations.
Trump’s mega declaration came during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to the White House, marking a turning point in Washington–Riyadh ties. Alongside the designation, Trump confirmed that the US will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, effectively giving Riyadh access to America’s most advanced combat aircraft.
Saudi Arabia Major Non-NATO Ally status: Why is it a big deal?
The MNNA status does not guarantee US security protection, but it unlocks high-level military cooperation, preferred access to American defence technology, joint research opportunities, and priority military training. For Saudi Arabia, already the largest buyer of US arms in the world, this designation opens the door to a deeper, institutionalised defence partnership.
It also binds the two countries closer after years of diplomatic turbulence triggered by the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a murder US intelligence linked to the Crown Prince.
Why is the F-35 deal so controversial?
Trump confirmed the sale saying, “We will be selling F-35 jets. They’ve been a great ally.” The move is contentious for several reasons. American defence officials have privately warned that F-35 transfers could risk exposing advanced technologies, especially given Riyadh’s deepening ties with China.
Saudi Arabia and the US previously announced $142 billion in arms agreements in Riyadh, described as the largest defence sales package in American history. One F-35A costs about $82.5 million, but the strategic price goes well beyond aircraft.
Why this marks a big shift in middle-eastern politics?
Currently, Israel is the only Middle Eastern nation flying F-35s. Israeli officials fear that allowing Saudi Arabia to acquire them could dilute their long-held technological superiority. Trump is expected to push the Crown Prince to join the Abraham Accords and normalise ties with Israel.
But Saudi Arabia has drawn a red line that there would be no recognition of Israel without a path to a Palestinian state.
Crown Prince’s US visit to bring diplomatic warmth?
The visit itself is symbolic. Trump welcomed MBS with a gala White House dinner, the Crown Prince’s first since 2018, the year of Khashoggi’s assassination. Unlike former President Biden, who once vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”, Trump is visibly reinvesting in the personal relationship.
US’ defence deal with Saudi is not just a bilateral upgrade. It is a strategic recalibration that will reshape regional defence architecture for years.
Is US F-35 sale to Saudi a worry for India?
The worry stems from the fact that the middle-eastern country recently entered into a defence pact with Pakistan, which suggests that an attack on either nation would be considered an attack on both. With this deal, Pakistan could gain indirect access to advanced US military equipment through Saudi Arabia.
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said, “Now Saudi Arabia has been designated as a major non- NATO ally of the US, which Pakistan already is. US has now signed a strategic defence agreement with Saudi Arabia. Separately Pakistan and Saudis have signed a defence pact. These are coordinated moves.”
This explains Trump’s lionising of Asim Munir and his attempt to meddle in India- Pak relations in Pakistan’s favour, saying so, he added that the The objective seems to be to protect Pakistan’s flank with India as much as possible so that it can play its designated regional role.
