TEHRAN – The Tuesday meeting at the White House between U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was less about ceremony than about strategy. 

Each announcement—from defense cooperation to economic investment—was structured to deepen Saudi dependence on Washington, preserve Israel’s military edge, and advance a framework for regional normalization. 

Taken together, the outcomes reveal how U.S. policy is weaving security, economics, and diplomacy into a single architecture that consolidates American influence while smoothing the path toward Riyadh–Tel Aviv normalization. 

Abraham Accords

Prince Mohammed signaled Saudi Arabia’s willingness to join the Abraham Accords, but reiterated that normalization with Israel must be tied to a credible path toward a Palestinian state. This conditional approach reflects Riyadh’s adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative, which links recognition of Israel to Palestinian sovereignty. For Israel, Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords would represent a major diplomatic breakthrough, reduce regional isolation and embed economic and security cooperation. The conditionality ensures that normalization is framed as part of a broader peace process rather than a unilateral concession, thereby balancing regional legitimacy with strategic benefit.

Defense pact

Trump’s announcement granting Saudi Arabia “major non-NATO ally” status formalizes Riyadh’s position within the U.S. security architecture. The accompanying defense agreement strengthens an 80-year partnership and commits Saudi Arabia to burden-sharing in regional deterrence. This arrangement benefits the U.S. by anchoring Saudi defense modernization to American systems, training, and doctrine—creating long-term dependency. For Israel, the pact ensures that Saudi capabilities are integrated within U.S.-controlled frameworks, reducing the risk of independent divergence and reinforcing a shared deterrent posture against regional threats.

F35 sale

The decision to authorize the sale of F35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia represents a departure from the traditional U.S. policy of preserving Israel’s “qualitative military edge” through downgraded exports. Yet in practice, the deal does not undermine Israel’s superiority. By controlling the timing of delivery, the level of technology provided, and the training pipelines, Washington ensures that Saudi capabilities remain calibrated. Israel’s advantage is preserved through its unique access to tailored software libraries, indigenous integration, and persistent upgrade flows. While some speculate that Saudi acquisition of advanced jets could erode Israel’s edge, the reality is that U.S. oversight keeps Israel’s aerial superiority intact. More importantly, the transaction itself creates conditions for closer ties and potential normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Saudi investments

The announcement of up to $1 trillion in Saudi investments in the U.S., focused on technology, AI, and rare materials, creates deep economic interdependence.

For Washington, this capital inflow supports jobs and innovation, while for Riyadh, it secures access to frontier technologies under U.S. regulatory oversight. Israel stands to benefit indirectly, as normalization would open pathways for trilateral cooperation in emerging industries, embedding economic ties alongside security arrangements.

Gaza resolution

The meeting’s outcomes align with the logic of Trump’s recently approved Gaza resolution, which prioritizes U.S. control, external oversight, and conditional progress toward Palestinian statehood. Saudi buy-in provides Arab legitimacy and resources to support implementation, while U.S. control over advanced capabilities ensures Israel’s security concerns are addressed. The resolution places the U.S. at the center of governance in Gaza, aligning developments with Israel’s security needs. Although it refers to a possible pathway toward a Palestinian state, Israel’s opposition makes this prospect largely symbolic and risks pushing the idea of statehood further into the background. In effect, the resolution functions less as a roadmap to sovereignty than as a mechanism to consolidate U.S. influence and reinforce Israel’s security position.

The Trump-Bin Salman meeting shows how defense, diplomacy, and economics are being woven together to serve a broader strategy. Saudi Arabia becomes more dependent on U.S. systems, Israel’s military edge remains secure under American oversight, and the Gaza resolution gains regional backing through Saudi involvement.