President Trump approves record-breaking defense sales agreement during visit to Saudi Arabia

On his first full day of his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump signed a series of bilateral deals worth a staggering $600 billion, marking the largest defense sales agreement in history at $142 billion. In his speech to business leaders, Trump emphasized the importance of Saudi Arabia in promoting peace and prosperity in the Middle East, while also highlighting the kingdom’s stark contrast to Iran’s nuclear defiance.

The deal, which was facilitated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was promised to Trump in exchange for making Saudi Arabia his first foreign stop during his second administration. The two were reportedly very friendly during the signing ceremony, with Trump even joking that they should make the investment worth $1 trillion.

The $142 billion defense agreement will provide Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art war-fighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defense firms. This includes advancements in air force and space capabilities, air and missile defense, maritime and coastal security, border security, land forces modernization, and communication systems upgrades.

Trump praised the quality of American military equipment, stating, “The US makes the best military equipment, the best missiles, the best rockets, the best everything.” However, such arms sales have been controversial in the past, with a bipartisan majority in Congress blocking an $8 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2019 due to concerns over their use in Yemen’s civil war. Congress also rebuk