Trump Welcomes Saudi Crown Prince, Backs F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion U.S. Investment Pledge

Overview

• President Donald Trump hosted Mohammed bin Salman for his first U.S. visit in more than seven years, featuring full honors and a White House gala attended by Cristiano Ronaldo and Elon Musk, with official images later released.
• Trump said the U.S. will move to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, with discussions referencing roughly 48 aircraft, marking a potential first for an Arab state and a significant shift in regional force balance.
• The prospective sale faces congressional review under U.S. law, with lawmakers and pro-Israel groups scrutinizing Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge and Pentagon warnings about exposure of sensitive F-35 technology given Saudi ties with China.
• Officials and sources described parallel talks on a civilian nuclear cooperation framework and major Saudi-backed AI infrastructure in the U.S., alongside possible export licenses for advanced chips.
• MBS announced an intention to lift Saudi investment in the United States to as much as $1 trillion, while normalization with Israel remains unresolved as Riyadh links any move to a credible path to a two-state outcome; Trump publicly defended MBS despite the CIA finding he approved Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 killing.