Saudi Arabia's Big Wins and Misses with Trump

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had a successful visit to the White House. He got most of what he wanted from President Trump. The US and Saudi Arabia made big deals on defense, trade, and technology. This shows how much power the Crown Prince has. He also got the US to drop a key demand: full normalization with Israel. The US called Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally. They also agreed to sell advanced jets to Saudi Arabia. The two countries also agreed to work together on AI, critical minerals, and nuclear energy. The Crown Prince said these deals are good for both countries. But Saudi Arabia didn't get everything. The US won't let Saudi Arabia enrich uranium at home. This is because it could be used to make nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia also didn't get a formal defense commitment from the US. This is a big deal because Saudi Arabia wants protection from other countries like China and Russia. Saudi Arabia is trying to make friends with other countries. They have been working with China and Pakistan for security. This makes the US worry. But some US politicians think it's good that Saudi Arabia is working with the US instead of China. The US-Saudi relationship is now more about competing with China than making peace with Israel. Saudi Arabia is an important partner for the US in this competition. The Crown Prince got many gains from the US. But he still wants more security guarantees.