The agreement comes weeks after Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence agreement with Pakistan following Israel’s September attack on Qatar, which had sparked concerns across the region over whether the US could be trusted by its Gulf allies as a security partner. On Monday, Trump confirmed that he will authorise the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. During the meeting with MBS, he said the jets would not be downgraded to ensure Israel’s military superiority in the region, a departure from a US policy known as “qualitative military edge”.
“They’ve been a great ally. Israel has been a great ally, and we’re looking at that exactly right now. But as far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line.” Trump once again expressed pride in the US strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. “We did that on behalf of everybody, and the outcome was extraordinary because we have the best pilots, the best equipment, the best planes, the best everything,” he said.
