From the archive: Saudi Tornados

Saudi Arabia’s decision to buy British Tornado aircraft and Hawk jet trainers was announced shortly after it became known that the Reagan administration had decided not to include 40 additional F-15 combat aircraft for Saudi Arabia in its official request for arms sales to Congress. The British sale was immediately denounced by Israel; a statement by the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the deal was “escalating the arms race in the Middle East to a level that undermines the stability of the region”.