Trump Announces Major US–Saudi Defence Deals
Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday (local time) that the US will “sell” some of the “largest” military equipment “ever made” to Saudi Arabia, a day after officially designating the Kingdom as a “major non-NATO ally”.
Trump told the US-Saudi Investment Forum: “… We officially designated the Kingdom as a major non-NATO ally yesterday… It’s a sign of confidence. We signed a historic strategic defense agreement yesterday… We’re going to sell Saudi Arabia some of the largest military equipment ever built. We produce the best military equipment in the world by far. That’s why we’re doing the most business, including close to 300 American-made tanks… planes.”
Trump noted that US-Saudi relations strengthened after Iran “destroyed” its nuclear capabilities “very quickly,” describing it as “a real cloud over the entire Middle East.”
He said the partnership between the two nations is among the most consequential globally and claimed that Saudi Arabia now wants to make a deal following the alleged destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The B2s were undetectable and dropped their payloads… each bomb hit its exact target… and it was completely destroyed,” he said.
Trump also highlighted the many “groundbreaking” agreements between the two countries and thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for bringing investment and jobs to the United States. “This week, our countries signed agreements on civil nuclear energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence… In addition to the $600 billion investment in the United States announced last spring… Yesterday, the Crown Prince announced $1 trillion…” he said.
Earlier, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was welcomed at the White House with a guard of honor, complete with a military flyover and cannon salutes. Trump walked the Crown Prince along the new “Presidential Walk of Fame” before heading to the Oval Office.
Internally, the Crown Prince signaled Saudi Arabia’s willingness to join the Abraham Accords but stressed that progress towards a Palestinian state was essential. “We want to make sure we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” he said.
In a significant change, Trump announced plans to sell advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, ending Israel’s exclusive access to the aircraft in the region; it was a move that could reshape the military balance of the Middle East.
