- Crown Prince MBS will visit the White House next month.
- The pact could resemble the US-Qatar security agreement.
- The State Department cites strong strategic cooperation.
Saudi Arabia is discussing a defense deal with the United States that it hopes to conclude during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House next month, the statement said. Financial Times reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A senior Trump administration official told the Financial Times there have been “discussions about possibly signing something when the crown prince comes, but the details are evolving.”
THE FT said the agreement under discussion was similar to the recent pact between the United States and Qatar, which pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States. The US deal with Qatar came after Israel last month attempted to kill Hamas leaders with an airstrike on Doha.
The US State Department said FT that defense cooperation with the kingdom was a “strong foundation of our regional strategy”, but declined to comment on the details of the potential deal.
The US State Department, the White House and the Saudi government did not respond to a Reuters request for comments on the FT report.
Last month, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense agreement with nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Riyadh and Islamabad signed the mutual defense agreement on September 17, significantly strengthening a decades-old security partnership, a week after Israeli strikes on Qatar upended the diplomatic calculus in the region.
The agreement stipulates that “any aggression against either country will be considered an aggression against both,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office and the government. Saudi Press Agency had mentioned.
“This agreement (…) aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and to strengthen common deterrence against any aggression,” the statement said.
The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh, where Pakistan’s top official was warmly welcomed.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to view any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States’ own security, according to a document that said U.S. forces could intervene to defend the Middle Eastern nation.
Qatar welcomed Trump’s order, describing it as an important step in strengthening defense ties and bilateral cooperation, its foreign ministry said.
The executive order, which appears to significantly strengthen the US commitment to Qatar, comes after Israel last month attempted to kill Hamas leaders with an airstrike on Doha.
The strike, launched without notice to the Trump administration, caused consternation in Washington, given the close relationship between the United States and Qatar, which is home to the largest American military base in the region.
“The United States will consider any armed attack against the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar to be a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” the order states.
“In the event of such an attack, the United States will take all lawful and appropriate measures – including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military – to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar and restore peace and stability.”
The document states that senior US defense and intelligence officials will maintain a contingency plan with Qatar to ensure a rapid response to any attack.
