Saudi defense chief visits White House ahead of MBS trip: What to know
Saudi Arabia is seeking to purchase dozens of F-35 fighter jets, but the Trump administration may hold off to leverage the kingdom to normalize ties with Israel, a top ambition of its Middle East policy.
WASHINGTON — Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman met with top Trump administration officials in Washington on Tuesday ahead of an expected state visit by the kingdom’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, next week.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with the Saudi defense minister at the White House.
“During the meeting, we reviewed the Saudi-US relations and aspects of the strategic partnership between our two friendly countries,” Prince Khalid posted on X following the meeting. The officials also discussed “regional and international developments,” the post read.
The head of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, Yasir al-Rumayyan, met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington on Monday. Axios reported Wednesday that Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, visited Saudi Arabia over the weekend and met with the 40-year-old crown prince.
