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Trump Welcomes Saudi Crown Prince to White House as U.S. Plans F‑35 Sale

Saudi normalization with Israel remains tied to a credible path to Palestinian statehood.

Overview

  • Mohammed bin Salman received full ceremonial honors in his first White House visit since 2018, a reset that follows U.S. intelligence findings that he approved the capture or killing of Jamal Khashoggi, which he denies.
  • Trump said the U.S. will sell F‑35 stealth jets to Saudi Arabia, a first for the kingdom that could test Israel’s qualitative military edge and face congressional and Pentagon scrutiny over technology security.
  • Both governments signaled imminent multibillion‑dollar deals spanning defense sales, civil nuclear cooperation and U.S. artificial‑intelligence infrastructure, with an investor summit set for Wednesday in Washington.
  • A U.S. security pledge for Saudi Arabia is being discussed in the form of executive action short of a Senate‑ratified treaty, reflecting concerns over durability, oversight and regional risk.
  • Trump pressed for Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords, while Saudi officials reiterated that any move toward Israel requires a credible, time‑bound pathway to Palestinian statehood and no breakthrough was expected during the visit.