Bombshell: Saudi Arabia Ready For Peace With Israel, But Only If THIS Condition Is Met | World News

Washington: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stepped into the White House on Tuesday to an unusually large welcome. President Donald Trump held a ceremonial reception with marching bands, flag-carrying horse guards and a military flyover. It was a demonstration aimed at underscoring how closely aligned the interests of the United States and Saudi Arabia are at a time when the region is searching for a new political rhythm.

Prince Mohammed’s arrival set the stage for a long conversation that moved from business to technology and then to the question that has been shaping Middle East diplomacy for months: Will Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords? If so, under what conditions?

In the Oval Office, the crown prince’s situation was clear. He said Riyadh was open to joining the framework but only if the agreement created a viable path towards a Palestinian state. “We believe that having good relations with all Middle Eastern countries is a good thing and we want to be part of the Abraham Accords. But we also want to make sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” he told reporters.

He added that he and Trump had had a “healthy discussion” about how to set the stage so that “we can set the stage as quickly as possible to get this done.”

Saudi officials have been repeating for months that the kingdom still stands by the Arab Peace Initiative. On November 18, Trump confirmed that the two had “good talks” on the issue. “We talked about one state, two states. We talked about a lot of things,” he said, implying that discussions would continue, although he did not offer any timeline.

The meeting also touched upon the defense architecture that the kingdom wants to formalize with Washington. When asked whether the United States and Saudi Arabia had reached a defense agreement, Trump replied: “Almost there is. We have reached an agreement on this issue.”

Riyadh has been seeking a binding commitment similar to NATO’s Article Five, and Trump said on November 17 that he would approve F-35 fighter jets for Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that although US policy has long required supporting Israel’s military superiority, the jets will not be downgraded.

“They want you to buy low-caliber planes. I don’t think that makes you very happy,” Trump told Prince Mohammed.

Another important part of the talks focused on Iran. Trump reassessed the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June and described the operation as “extraordinary”.

But he later switched to a softer tone and said Tehran was looking for a diplomatic channel. “I’m totally open to that and we’re talking to them,” Trump said.

Prince Salman said the kingdom would help facilitate the US-Iran deal. “We will do our best to help reach an agreement,” he said.

SPA had previously reported that Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian sent a handwritten letter to MBS ahead of his trip to Washington.

As expected, the topic also turned to investments. Trump publicly thanked the crown prince for agreeing to pour “$600 billion” into the U.S. economy and joked it could rise to “$1 trillion.”

From artificial intelligence to rare materials, investment opportunities are expanding rapidly and the total Saudi contribution will likely reach a trillion dollars, MBS said. “The agreement we signed today will create many investment opportunities,” he said.

Both leaders offered warm praise throughout the visit. Trump called the crown prince “fantastic” and “brilliant,” held his hand as he criticized Joe Biden’s “fist punch” in 2021, and later scolded an ABC News reporter for asking critical questions.

“You are a terrible person and a terrible reporter,” he said, moments before lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed a bill calling for the release of the Epstein files.

For all the pageantry and theatrics, the meeting sent a clear signal: Saudi Arabia is willing to move towards the Abraham Accords, but only if Washington helps it secure a genuine and irreversible path to a two-state arrangement. Defense deals, Iran talks and investments, everything else now seems to revolve around this one condition.