U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) at the White House, making his goals clear: he wants Saudi Arabia and Israel to move toward normalization under the Abraham Accords.
The visit also highlights discussions on a potential F-35 fighter jet sale, economic and defense agreements, and the crown prince’s efforts to rebuild his international image. MbS’ reforms at home, from social modernization to economic initiatives, are part of a broader strategy to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s global influence.
00:00U.S. President Donald Trump is clear about the agenda and why he wants to meet Saudi Arabia's
00:14Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, widely known as MBS. First, he wants to see Saudi Arabia and
00:21Israel normalize relations. Second, he is considering an F-35 fighter jet deal with
00:26the Saudis. These ambitions will take center stage on Tuesday, when Trump hosts the Saudi
00:32Crown Prince for a high-profile White House visit. Trump has repeatedly framed a broader
00:39Arab-Israeli peace as the natural extension of his first-term Abraham Accords, deals that
00:44opened diplomatic ties between Israel and three Arab nations. Just days before the meeting,
00:52Trump revealed a new White House development. He is considering a significant U.S. sale
00:57of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, the same advanced aircraft manufactured by
01:02Lockheed Martin.
01:04Saudi Crown Prince next week.
01:07More than meeting, we're honoring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince.
01:11What are your goals in the meeting?
01:14To decide by the sell of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia?
01:17Well, they want it by a lot of jets. We make the best jets. We make the best missiles. You
01:24saw that when we took out the nuclear capability of Iran. You know, for 22 years, they wanted
01:30to do that. No president had the guts to do it. We did it. And Iran is a different place.
01:36By the way, Iran wants to negotiate a deal. Everybody wants to negotiate with us now. If we
01:42didn't have military strength, we didn't rebuild our military in my first term. And now we
01:47continue to do it. Biden dissipated it by giving a chunk to the Taliban. Not a good idea.
01:54But you know what the good news? It was a lot, but relatively very little.
01:59So, yes to the jets, but you're not sure yet?
02:01I'm looking at that. They've asked me to look at it. They want to buy a lot of 35, but they
02:07want to buy actually more than that fighter jets yet.
02:09Will the Abraham Accords be a part of that conversation?
02:12What?
02:13The Abraham Accords getting Saudi Arabia...
02:15The Abraham Accords will be a part. We're going to be discussing. I hope that Saudi Arabia
02:19will be going into the Abraham Accords fairly shortly. We've had tremendous interest in
02:25the Abraham Accords since we put Iran out of business. Okay? Thank you much. Thank you,
02:32everybody. Thank you.
02:34Trump made the comments aboard Air Force One, adding that the upcoming talks with MBS would be,
02:38more than a meeting. We're honoring Saudi Arabia.
02:43The potential F-35 sale comes as both leaders prepare to sign several economic and defense
02:48agreements during the visit. But the deal isn't without controversy.
02:52A Pentagon intelligence assessment has raised concerns that China could potentially gain access
02:58to sensitive F-35 technology if the sale proceeds, according to reporting from the New York Times.
03:05Trump's hopes are there on the map. Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords.
03:10Riyadh has maintained that it will not normalize relations with Israel without a clear roadmap toward Palestinian statehood,
03:17but Washington believes momentum is building. For MBS, this visit is also about international rehabilitation and strategic repositioning.
03:27Seven years after the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi, the Crown Prince arrives in Washington determined to reassert his global influence
03:36and to show that Trump's unwavering support remains justified.
03:40MBS has increasingly framed himself as a regional power broker, improving relations with Iran, supporting a Gaza ceasefire,
03:49and bringing Syria back into the Arab League, a major shift from the Prince once seen as a reckless newcomer.
03:56At home, he has overseen the kingdom's most dramatic social transformation in generations.
04:03The religious police were sidelined. Strict public codes relaxed. Women gained the right to drive, work, and move freely in public.
04:11Concerts, film festivals, and fashion shows now light up Riyadh, with global celebrities and designers performing and walking Saudi stages.
04:2170% of Saudis are under 30. We will not waste the next 30 years dealing with extremist ideas. We will destroy them today.
04:30But the same authority that ushered in sweeping reforms has also tightened political control.
04:36Critics were jailed, dissent was suppressed, and rival centers of influence were dismantled, making it clear that modernization in Saudi Arabia follows MBS's blueprint.
04:47And analysts say MBS's arrival in Washington will be treated with the ceremony typically reserved for a future king.
Be the first to comment