Washington, MINA – President Donald Trump announced a significant upgrade in US-Saudi relations on Tuesday, formally designating the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally.
The announcement was made during a formal dinner at the White House hosted for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I’m pleased to announce that we’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them,” President Trump revealed to attendees.
He framed the move as a fulfillment of a key Saudi request, adding, “I’m just telling you now for the first time… That’s another point you won today.”
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The new status grants Saudi Arabia privileged access to US weaponry, training, and loans, and allows for deeper joint research and development programs with the Pentagon. This places the Kingdom in a category with other key US partners such as Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Egypt.
Alongside the designation, the two leaders signed a historic strategic defense agreement. The White House stated that the pact “strengthens our more than 80-year defense partnership and fortifies deterrence across the Middle East.”
While the agreement deepens military ties, it remains unclear if it includes a formal US security guarantee to defend Saudi Arabia if it were attacked. The White House did not immediately provide clarification on the specifics of the deterrence measures.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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