Overview
- President Trump designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally and announced a strategic defense agreement with plans for future sales of F-35s and roughly 300 U.S. tanks, moves that still require interagency and congressional review.
- Riyadh said it would lift its U.S. investment pledge to nearly $1 trillion, with about $270 billion in company deals touted at a Washington forum, alongside frameworks on AI, critical minerals and a civil nuclear negotiation statement lacking detailed terms.
- A polished Capitol Hill reception produced few specifics, with lawmakers saying the defense agreement was not discussed in detail and noting that Saudi-Israel normalization saw no concrete progress as the crown prince reiterated a two-state pathway.
- Defense and intelligence officials and Israeli voices raised concerns that advanced arms sales could erode Israel’s qualitative military edge or expose sensitive technology to China, while the White House said statutory QME requirements will guide any sale.
- Trump said he would start working on the war in Sudan after a request from the crown prince, as rights advocates criticized the U.S. outreach and both leaders downplayed questions about Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder, prompting a rebuke from Khashoggi’s widow.