Trump said that the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June have made Saudi Arabia “more secure”.
Saudi Arabia’s $1 Trillion Bet on F-35 Jets. US President Donald Trump has officially designated Saudi Arabia a “major non-NATO ally”, while the two countries also announced new agreements in the areas of defence, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and key minerals.
During a black-tie dinner held at the White House, Trump announced that the US is taking military cooperation with Saudi Arabia to a new level and is officially granting the kingdom the status of a “major non-NATO ally”.
This status provides significant military and economic benefits, but does not include direct guarantees of security.
Trump said that the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June have made Saudi Arabia “more secure”. While the Russia to supply 48 Su-35 fighter jets to Iran.
According to the White House, the two countries also signed a Strategic Defence Agreement on the occasion, which deals with establishing terror in the Middle East, facilitating work in Saudi Arabia for US defence companies and providing Saudi funds to reduce US spending.
The deal falls short of the NATO-style security guarantees that Saudi Arabia had previously sought.
Purchase of F-35s & Tanks
The United States has approved future deliveries of F-35 stealth fighter jets, while Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy 300 U.S. tanks.
If the kingdom’s request for 48 F-35s goes ahead, it would be the first time the United States has sold the state-of-the-art fighter jet to Riyadh, a deal that could sway the military balance in the region and test Washington’s policy of “quantitative military superiority” over Israel, which is currently the only country in the Middle East that has F-35s.
Nuclear Energy Cooperation Deal
The two sides also signed a joint statement concluding talks on civil nuclear energy cooperation, which the White House said would provide the legal basis for a long-term nuclear partnership.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has long sought such a deal to gain access to American nuclear technology and bring Saudi Arabia into line with the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
However, progress has been slow because Saudi Arabia has not accepted the US requirement to ban uranium enrichment and fuel reprocessing. This condition is intended to prevent potential pathways to nuclear weapons.
