The US approved the sale of how many F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in September 2026?

Explanation: The US State Department approved the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, stating the sale would improve the kingdom's capability to deter current and future threats. The approval represented a significant shift in longstanding US arms transfer policy in the Gulf region, given historical sensitivities around preserving Israel's qualitative military edge, and followed a broader deepening of security cooperation between Washington and Riyadh amid regional instability.