President Trump speaks at the Saudi-U.S. Investment forum on May 13th, 2025 (video clip - @moesahily/X)
President Trump speaks in Saudi Arabia (video snippet)

Trump's Deal With Saudi Puts Israeli Military Supremacy At Risk

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The Judean Staff
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In a staggering arms-for-investment deal, the U.S. is trading stealth jets and missile defense systems for Saudi cash and allegiance—despite the kingdom’s Islamist past and its growing ties with China.

In one of the most ambitious and controversial geopolitical maneuvers of the decade, U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on efforts to lure Saudi Arabia away from China's rising sphere of influence—by dangling one of America’s most advanced military assets, the F-35 stealth fighter jet, alongside a mountain of high-tech weaponry.

The deal, estimated at $142 billion, is not merely a weapons transaction—it’s a strategic wager to secure the loyalty of a kingdom once viewed as a hotbed of Islamist extremism. Nearly two decades after 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were revealed to be Saudi nationals, Washington now rolls out the red carpet for Riyadh, offering tools of war once reserved only for America’s closest allies.

In exchange, Saudi Arabia has pledged a jaw-dropping $600 billion in investments into the American economy—part of what Riyadh touts as a $1 trillion package over the coming years. The sheer scale of this economic infusion raises questions about whether U.S. foreign policy is now dictated more by bank transfers than by ideological alignment.

Israel on Edge: A Threat to Regional Superiority

Israel, long the only Middle Eastern recipient of F-35 jets and America's closest regional ally, is watching this development with alarm. The possibility of the Saudi Air Force fielding stealth aircraft—capable of penetrating advanced air defenses and carrying out surgical strikes—could upend the carefully preserved Qualitative Military Edge (QME) that Washington has historically committed to upholding for the Jewish state.

The Israeli defense establishment views the arms sale as a dangerous precedent, eroding the country's technological advantage and possibly opening the door to further regional arms races. Critics warn that even if Saudi intentions are peaceful today, the long-term risks of empowering a historically autocratic regime are far too high.

A Legacy of Tactical Amnesia

This deal underscores an uncomfortable truth: when billions of dollars are at stake, America’s strategic memory becomes remarkably short. The very nation whose royal family was under scrutiny after 9/11 is now being showered with cutting-edge weaponry.

Even President Joe Biden, whose administration once pledged to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, ultimately continued defense engagement with the kingdom—highlighting the bipartisan pragmatism that rules Washington’s dealings in the region.

The White House has downplayed the ideological gap, focusing instead on countering China, protecting energy interests, and maintaining influence in a region increasingly tilting toward Beijing’s orbit.

Beijing Looms Large

Indeed, this arms deal is unfolding amid deepening Saudi-Chinese ties, which have seen the two nations collaborate on technology, infrastructure, and even joint military exercises. Washington fears Riyadh may shift its allegiance unless it is enticed with both military assurances and economic partnership.

By locking Saudi Arabia into a long-term strategic defense agreement—complete with access to American defense platforms, radar networks, and advanced aircraft—the Trump administration hopes to prevent further drift toward China.

A Fragile Shield: Saudi Arabia's Defense Weakness Exposed

Despite billions spent on Western defense systems, Saudi Arabia remains startlingly vulnerable. This was brutally exposed in 2019 when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a swarm of drones that struck Aramco oil facilities, causing billions in damages and rattling global energy markets.

The attacks bypassed American-supplied Patriot and French Mistral missile systems, laying bare the kingdom’s gaps in radar coverage, outdated protocols, and vast undefended terrain. The embarrassment shocked Riyadh into revisiting its entire air defense doctrine—and pushed it back into Washington’s arms.

Saudi defense officials now seek the THAAD missile defense system, previously stationed in the kingdom but recently redeployed to shield Israel. After training Saudi forces on THAAD operations in the U.S., Riyadh is pressing for its own batteries—hoping to plug critical gaps in its air defense infrastructure.

F-35s, Hercules, and SeaGuardians: What’s on the Table

In addition to the controversial F-35 jets, the proposed deal includes a fleet of updated Hercules transport aircraft, cutting-edge radar and missile systems, and unmanned platforms like the MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones—enhancing surveillance, strike capability, and regional deterrence.

Saudi Arabia has already acquired over $3 billion worth of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, further modernizing its air force with American-made firepower.

Strategy Without Entanglement: Saudi Arabia’s Diplomatic Balancing Act

Interestingly, Riyadh continues to walk a diplomatic tightrope. While investing in U.S. ties, it refuses to join American operations against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and urges Washington not to endorse Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Saudi leadership prefers a posture of strategic deterrence without direct confrontation.

The kingdom is seeking security guarantees without strings—a shield from Iran and its proxies, but not a greenlight to be dragged into someone else’s wars. This posture aligns with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's broader regional vision: wield influence through economic leverage and military capability, while avoiding the destabilizing blowback of overt aggression.

Conclusion

This titanic exchange of arms and investments is more than a defense pact—it is a realignment of geopolitical interests where ideology, history, and even memory take a backseat to money, missiles, and influence. As the U.S. courts the kingdom with stealth aircraft and radar shields, and as Israel and China watch closely, the world is witnessing the rise of a new era of Middle Eastern power politics—one negotiated not in backrooms, but on billion-dollar spreadsheets.

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