⚔️ Trump Gives MBS ‘State Visit’ Honors, Greenlights F-35 Sale in High-Stakes Meeting

President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) at the White House on Tuesday, marking the Saudi leader’s first visit to Washington since 2018. The day was defined by extraordinary military pageantry and major transactional agreements that solidify the alliance.

1. Rehabilitation and Pageantry

 

The arrival ceremony on the South Lawn was orchestrated by the White House to resemble a full state visit, a clear display of the President’s personal support for the Crown Prince.

• Pomp and Ceremony: MBS was greeted with a full military honor guard, a procession of black horses, and a remarkable six-fighter-jet flyover that streaked across the Washington sky—a courtesy usually reserved for heads of state.

• Symbolic Rehabilitation: The lavish reception, following the President’s trip to Riyadh in May, is viewed globally as the complete political rehabilitation of MBS, whom President Biden had once vowed to treat as a “pariah” following the Khashoggi killing.

2. The Deals: F-35s and AI

 

The meetings focused on multi-billion dollar deals, securing major economic and defense commitments between the two nations.

• F-35 Stealth Jets: President Trump confirmed he will approve the highly controversial sale of advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Kingdom. This is a monumental shift, as Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern nation to possess the advanced aircraft, raising concerns about upsetting the regional Qualitative Military Edge (QME).

• Massive AI Investment: The leaders are set to announce a multi-billion dollar Saudi investment in U.S. Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” to diversify its economy away from oil.

• Nuclear Cooperation: Discussions also included enhanced cooperation on civilian nuclear energy through a “123 agreement” framework.

3. The Diplomatic Challenge: Abraham Accords

 

The most challenging diplomatic hurdle remains the normalization of relations with Israel.

• Trump’s Push: President Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords “very shortly.”

• Saudi Condition: Saudi officials have consistently maintained that a guaranteed and irreversible path toward a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for normalization, a condition the current Israeli government vehemently opposes. Trump’s willingness to sell the F-35s without making normalization a firm condition reduces his key leverage in achieving this diplomatic goal.