Analyst: 'The Crown Prince is very good at playing to the expectations of President Trump' | DW News

Key Concepts

• F-35 Fighter Jets: Advanced, multirole stealth fighter aircraft.
• Muhammad bin Salman (MBS): Crown Prince and de facto leader of Saudi Arabia.
• Jamal Khashoggi Murder: The 2018 assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with US intelligence concluding MBS ordered it.
• Conflict of Interest: A situation where an individual's personal interests could compromise their professional judgment or actions.
• Gaza Peace Plan: A proposed initiative by the Trump administration to bring peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Abraham Accords: Agreements normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
• Two-State Solution: A proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, involving the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia and Diplomatic Visit

The Trump administration has approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. This decision follows a White House visit by Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Muhammad bin Salman (MBS). The F-35 jets are currently utilized by US ally Israel, and some US officials express concern that supplying these advanced warplanes to an Arab nation could disrupt the military balance in the Middle East. President Trump, however, stated that both nations are deserving of the jets, referring to them as "great allies."

Confrontational Press Briefing and Khashoggi Murder Allegations

The press briefing in the Oval Office became confrontational when an ABC News reporter questioned President Trump about potential conflicts of interest related to his family's business dealings in Saudi Arabia and US intelligence findings implicating MBS in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The reporter asked, "President, is it appropriate, Mr. President, for your family to be doing business in Saudi Arabia while you're president? Is that a conflict of interest? And your royal highness, the US intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist. 9/11 families are furious that you are here in the Oval Office. Who? Who are you? Why should Americans trust you?"

President Trump responded by dismissing the reporter as "Fake news. ABC fake news. One of the worst one of the worst in the business." He addressed the conflict of interest question by stating, "I have nothing to do with a family business. I have left and when I I've devoted 100% of my energy. What my family does is fine. Uh they do business all over. They've done very little with Saudi Arabia actually. They could I'm sure they could do a lot. Uh and anything they've done has been very good." Regarding the Khashoggi murder, Trump stated, "As far as this gentleman is concerned, he's done a phenomenal job. You're mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happened, but he knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that."

Expert Analysis on MBS's Role and the Visit's Rationale

Dr. Fright from the LNED Center for Modern Oriental Studies provided analysis on the situation. He noted that Trump's dismissal of the Khashoggi murder allegations with the phrase "Things happen" directly contradicted the conclusions of US intelligence and a UN special reporter, who found MBS to be "very much involved in this killing" and that such an event "could not hap have happened without his sanctions."

Dr. Fright suggested two primary reasons for the visit and the warm reception:

1. Business Dealings: Trump's desire to conduct business with Saudi Arabia, with arms sales already being a significant factor.
2. Gaza Peace Plan: Saudi Arabia's crucial role in Trump's proposed Gaza peace plan. Trump aims for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to finance the reconstruction of Gaza. There is also an aspiration for Saudi Arabia to sign the Abraham Accords, which would advance regional peace.

Likelihood of Saudi Arabia Signing Abraham Accords

Dr. Fright expressed skepticism about Saudi Arabia signing the Abraham Accords in the near future. He stated, "at the moment it's very difficult." While acknowledging it's Trump's hope, he believes MBS is adept at managing Trump's expectations. The primary obstacle, according to Dr. Fright, is the absence of a credible strategy for a two-state solution, which Israel vocally rejects. He also pointed out that while MBS may not be overly concerned with the Palestinian cause himself, he is mindful of public opinion within Saudi Arabia, where there is significant support for a Palestinian state, though not for Hamas.

Geopolitical Context and Trump's Approach

The warming of US-Saudi relations was already underway during the Biden administration. Dr. Fright characterized Trump's current approach as an "inevitable step" in geopolitics but emphasized that the "very special welcome" extended to MBS signifies Trump's "special attention to the crown prince," potentially exceeding what might have been expected under different US political leadership.