Overview
- The White House designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally and announced a Strategic Defense Agreement that envisions F-35 sales and roughly 300 U.S.-made tanks, alongside frameworks on civil nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals.
- Any F-35 transfer requires formal congressional notification and review, with potential holds or conditions to protect sensitive technology and uphold statutory requirements on Israel’s qualitative military edge.
- Senate Democrats including Richard Blumenthal, Mark Kelly, and Jeanne Shaheen raised technology-transfer and regional-balance concerns, and warned against circumventing Congress on broader security commitments.
- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman increased Saudi Arabia’s pledge to invest in the United States to $1 trillion, with high-profile business engagements in Washington, though the timeline and details remain unspecified.
- Saudi officials indicated potential openness to normalize relations with Israel only if there is a clear path to Palestinian statehood, while U.S. officials emphasized continued commitment to preserving Israel’s military edge.