WASHINGTON, — The United States has approved a US$24.3 billion (RM99.5 billion) sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said yesterday, the kingdom’s latest major arms purchase since the start of the Iran war.

Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-35s, but officials from Israel — currently the only country in the Middle East to operate the jets — has voiced concern about their sale to Riyadh despite a push for the kingdom to normalize relations.

“The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defence, and improving interoperability with US forces,” the State Department said in a statement.

It “will also augment Saudi Arabia’s operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air, and air-to-ground self-defence capability,” the statement said.

The Saudi embassy in Washington praised the transaction, saying it “reflects the strength and enduring nature” of the relationship with the United States.

It added that the security cooperation between the two countries “has contributed to regional stability, strengthened our collective defence capabilities, and advanced our shared security interests.”

Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly targeted with drone and missile strikes by Tehran’s forces since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in February, and has also been hit by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.