Trump hosts Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman: Five key takeaways

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received a lukewarm invited to the White House from United States President Donald Trump successful a sojourn that has emphasised the deepening ties betwixt Riyadh and Washington.

The White House rolled the literal reddish carpet retired for Prince Mohammed, known arsenic MBS, connected Tuesday. Trump greeted him with a ceremonial that featured marching bands, flag-carrying horsemen and a subject flyover.

‘Good talks’ connected Saudi Arabia-Israel ties

In caller months, Trump has repeatedly said helium would similar Saudi Arabia to articulation the alleged Abraham Accords, which established ceremonial relations betwixt Israel and respective Arab countries.

On Tuesday, Prince Mohammed and Trump signalled imaginable advancement connected the contented without providing details oregon a timeline for a imaginable deal. The crown prince, however, did reiterate that Riyadh wants to beforehand the constitution of a Palestinian authorities arsenic portion of a imaginable agreement.

“We judge having a bully narration with each Middle Eastern countries is simply a bully thing, and we privation to beryllium portion of the Abraham Accords,” Prince Mohammed told reporters.

“But we privation besides to beryllium definite that we unafraid a wide way [to a] two-state solution. And contiguous we person a steadfast treatment with Mr President that we’ve got to enactment connected that, to beryllium definite that we tin hole the close concern arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to person that.”

Saudi officials person antecedently stressed that Riyadh is committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions the designation of Israel connected the constitution of a Palestinian state.

Trump said helium had “good talks” with Prince Mohammed astir the issue.

“We talked astir 1 state, 2 states. We talked astir a batch of things. In a abbreviated play of time, we’ll beryllium discussing it further too,” the US president said.

Trump suggests a defence pact is close

When asked whether the US and Saudi Arabia person reached a defence deal, Trump said: “We beauteous overmuch have. We person reached an statement connected that.”

The details of the dialog are not clear, but Riyadh has been seeking a communal defence pact with Washington akin to NATO’s Article Five, which would spot the US travel to the kingdom’s assistance if it fell nether attack.

Trump had confirmed connected Monday that helium volition authorise the merchantability of F-35 combatant jets to Saudi Arabia.

During the gathering with MBS, helium said the jets would not beryllium downgraded to guarantee Israel’s subject superiority successful the region, a departure from a US argumentation known arsenic “qualitative subject edge”.

“They’d similar you to get planes of reduced calibre. I don’t deliberation that makes you excessively happy,” helium told the Saudi crown prince.

“They’ve been a large ally. Israel has been a large ally, and we’re looking astatine that precisely close now. But arsenic acold arsenic I’m concerned, I deliberation they are some astatine a level wherever they should get apical of the line.”

Trump says Iran wants deal

Trump erstwhile again expressed pride successful the US strikes against Iran’s atomic facilities successful June.

“We did that connected behalf of everybody, and the result was bonzer due to the fact that we person the champion pilots, the champion equipment, the champion planes, the champion everything,” helium said.

The US president aboriginal shifted to a softer code connected Iran, saying Tehran is seeking a diplomatic solution with Washington, which has sought the dismantlement of its atomic programme.

“I americium wholly unfastened to it, and we’re talking to them,” Trump said.

“And we commencement a process. But it would beryllium a bully happening to person a woody with Iran. And we could person done it earlier the war, but that didn’t enactment out. And thing volition hap there, I think.”

Saudi Arabia’s authoritative quality agency, SPA, had reported that MBS had received a handwritten missive addressed to him from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier his travel to Washington. No details were disposable astir its content.

On Tuesday, Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia would backmost a US-Iran deal.

“We volition bash our champion to assistance to scope a woody betwixt the United States of America and Iran,” helium told reporters.

“And we judge it’s bully for Iran’s aboriginal to person a bully woody that would fulfill the portion and the satellite and the United States of America.”

$1 trillion successful investments?

At the outset of the 2 leaders’ nationalist remarks, Trump expressed gratitude for anticipated Saudi investments successful the US, which helium said volition beryllium successful the hundreds of billions of dollars.

“I privation to convey you due to the fact that you’ve agreed to put $600bn into the United States. And due to the fact that he’s my friend, helium mightiness marque it $1 trillion, but I’m going to person to enactment connected him,” Trump said.

He added that the Saudi funds volition make jobs and resources for US companies and Wall Street concern firms.

For his part, MBS said the Saudi investments successful the US volition apt emergence to $1 trillion.

“The statement that we are signing contiguous successful galore areas – successful exertion and AI, successful uncommon materials, magnet, etc – that volition make a batch of concern opportunities,” helium said.

The crown prince echoed Trump’s appraisal that the US is present the “hottest country” successful the world, adding that the kingdom wants to beryllium portion of the “foundation of emerging technologies” successful the US.

Praise and smiles

Trump and MBS were each smiles arsenic they exchanged flattering comments from the infinitesimal the crown prince arrived astatine the White House.

At 1 point, Trump reached for Prince Mohammed’s manus and held it arsenic helium criticised his predecessor, erstwhile US President Joe Biden, for giving MBS lone a fist bump erstwhile helium visited Riyadh during the COVID-19 pandemic successful 2021.

“I grabbed that hand. I don’t springiness a hellhole wherever that hand’s been,” Trump said.

The US president described the Saudi crown prince arsenic “fantastic” and “brilliant”.

“We person an highly respected antheral successful the Oval Office today, and a person of excavation for a agelong clip – precise bully person of mine,” Trump said.

“I’m precise arrogant of the occupation he’s done. What he’s done is unthinkable successful presumption of quality rights and everything else.”

The US president went connected to rebuke an ABC News newsman for asking a challenging question of Prince Mohammed, accusing her of disrespecting his guest.

When the aforesaid writer aboriginal asked Trump wherefore helium would not voluntarily merchandise authorities files related to enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein, Trump said ABC News’s broadcasting licence should beryllium revoked.

“You commencement disconnected with a antheral who is highly respected, asking him a horrible, insubordinate and conscionable a unspeakable question,” Trump said, referring to the earlier question to MBS.

“And you could adjacent inquire that aforesaid nonstop question nicely. You’re each psyched. Somebody psyched you implicit astatine ABC. You’re going to psych it. You’re a unspeakable idiosyncratic and a unspeakable reporter.”

About the aforesaid clip arsenic Trump welcomed MBS, the US House of Representatives passed a measure to compel the merchandise of the Epstein files.

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