A high-stakes meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman grew unexpectedly tense last week, despite warm public remarks, according to a report by Axios. While the two leaders praised each other in front of cameras, their closed-door discussions at the White House revealed deep disagreements — especially over Saudi–Israel normalization.
During their public meeting, Trump confidently told reporters that he had received a “positive response” from MBS on the idea of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. Bin Salman echoed the sentiment, saying he wanted Saudi Arabia to be part of the agreement, but emphasized the importance of securing a pathway to a two-state solution.
00:00A high-stakes meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman grew unexpectedly tense last week,
00:29despite warm public remarks, according to a report by Axios.
00:33While the two leaders praised each other in front of cameras, their closed-door discussions at the White House revealed deep disagreements, especially over Saudi-Israel normalization.
00:45During their public meeting, Trump confidently told reporters that he had received a positive response from MBS on the idea of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.
00:56Bin Salman echoed the sentiment, saying he wanted Saudi Arabia to be part of the agreement, but emphasized the importance of securing a pathway to a two-state solution.
01:08But, according to U.S. officials quoted by Axios, the private conversation was far more difficult.
01:15Behind closed doors, Trump pushed strongly for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel, arguing that now, with the Gaza war over and Iran's nuclear program weakened, was the ideal moment to expand the Abraham Accords across the Middle East.
01:33But MBS resisted. He reportedly told Trump that Saudi public opinion has shifted sharply against Israel after the Israel-Hamas war, and that the kingdom's population is not ready for normalization.
01:48One U.S. official described the atmosphere as one of disappointment and irritation.
01:55The president really wants them to join the Abraham Accords, but MBS is a strong man. He stood his ground, the official told Axios.
02:03MBS did not reject normalization outright. Instead, he insisted that Israel must agree to an irreversible path toward a Palestinian state, with a firm deadline, before Saudi Arabia could move forward.
02:19The door, officials said, remains open for later.
02:24Despite the tension, the meeting covered major strategic and economic issues.
02:29Trump said the U.S. would sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, under an arrangement similar to the one in place with Israel.
02:38He also hinted at progress toward a civil nuclear deal with Riyadh.
02:42In a significant economic announcement, Trump revealed that MBS had agreed to invest $600 billion in the United States, with a promise to later increase that investment to $1 trillion.
02:57For Trump, expanding the Abraham Accords remains a central Middle East goal.
03:02For MBS, securing movement toward a Palestinian state is non-negotiable.
03:08Their meeting shows that while the U.S. and Saudi Arabia remain close partners,
03:13the path to Saudi-Israel normalization is far more complicated and far more politically sensitive than public statements might suggest.
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