F-35 fighter jets for Saudi Arabia: Trump receives Crown Prince

diplomacy

F-35 fighter jets for Saudi Arabia: Trump receives Crown Prince

The Gulf monarchy is playing an increasingly important role as a strategic partner of the USA. What does this mean for Israel and the Middle East conflict?

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is visiting the White House for the first time since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi a good seven years ago. For MBS, as the 40-year-old de facto ruler is often called, the reception by US President Donald Trump in Washington should mean the final rehabilitation on the big political stage.

The murder of the government critic in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 significantly clouded relations with the USA. But there shouldn’t be any trace of that anymore. Trump announced that it would be more than just a meeting; the heir to the Saudi throne would be honored.

Khashoggi worked, among other things, as a columnist for the renowned US newspaper “Washington Post”. His body was dismembered and has not been found to this day. The US secret services saw the Saudi crown prince as the mastermind behind the crime.

The day before the visit, the US President also made an announcement that the Saudis had insisted on: The US wanted to sell state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, he said. So far these have only been given in the region to its close ally Israel.

Yasmine Farouk, a Gulf region expert at the International Crisis Group think tank, expects the focus of the meeting in the United States to be on the bilateral agreements envisaged during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May. Armament deals alone worth $142 billion were agreed at that time. A security agreement is now also under discussion.

Cooperation on the civil use of nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia could also be part of the talks. Trump also insists on the early normalization of the desert state’s relations with Israel.

The importance of Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner in the Middle East is growing. The Saudi crown prince arranged a first meeting between Trump and the Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa. The Saudis are also considered to play an important role in efforts to achieve long-term peace in the Gaza Strip.

Trump is pushing for Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel. “The Abraham Accords will be part of what we will talk about,” the US president said recently. He added: “I hope that Saudi Arabia will join the agreements in the near future.” Negotiations during the term of Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden were reportedly advanced when Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 put an end to the effort.