President Trump said Monday that he is planning to approve the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, making the kingdom the first country in the Middle East other than Israel to have access to the advanced fighter jets.

Why it matters: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is expected to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The F-35 deal, a U.S.-Saudi security agreement and possible normalization with Israel will be on the agenda.

What he is saying: "They want to buy. They are a great ally. We will be doing that. We will be selling them F-35s," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The big picture: The U.S. sells the F-35 primarily to formal military allies, such as NATO members or Japan. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that currently has them. • The supply of F-

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