Trump Announces Major US–Saudi Defence Deals

“… We officially designated the kingdom yesterday as a major non-NATO ally… That’s a sign of trust. We signed a historic strategic defence agreement yesterday… We’re going to be selling Saudi Arabia some of the greatest military equipment ever built. We build the best military equipment in the world by far. That’s why we do the most business, including nearly 300 American-made tanks… the aeroplanes…,” Trump said at the US-Saudi Investment Forum.

Trump noted that US–Saudi relations have grown stronger after they “very quickly” “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capability, which he described as a “real cloud over the whole Middle East.”

He said the partnership between the two nations is among the most consequential globally and claimed that Saudi Arabia now wants to make a deal following the alleged destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The B2s were undetectable and they dropped their payload… every single bomb hit its exact mark… and it was total obliteration,” he said.

Trump also highlighted several “groundbreaking” agreements between the two countries and thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for bringing investments and jobs to the United States. “This week, our countries signed agreements on civil nuclear energy, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence… in addition to the $600 billion investment in the US announced last spring… Yesterday, the Crown Prince announced $1 trillion…,” he said.

Earlier, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received an honour-guard welcome at the White House, complete with a military flyover and cannon salutes. Trump walked the Crown Prince along the new “Presidential Walk of Fame” before heading into the Oval Office.

Inside, the Crown Prince signalled Saudi Arabia’s willingness to join the Abraham Accords but stressed that progress toward Palestinian statehood was essential. “We want to be sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” he said.

In a significant shift, Trump announced plans to sell advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, ending Israel’s exclusive access to the aircraft in the region—a move that could reshape the Middle East’s military balance.