U.S. President Trump has announced the designation of Saudi Arabia as a 'Major Non-NATO Ally' of the United States.
According to foreign media reports, on the evening of the 18th, Trump held a banquet for visiting Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed. During his speech at the banquet, Trump said: 'We are officially designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, taking our military cooperation to a higher level. This is very important to them.'
Before Mohammed’s visit, Trump said he was prepared to sell U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, Trump met with Mohammed in the Oval Office at the White House and downplayed the incident of the well-known Saudi journalist Khashoggi’s murder seven years ago.
This is Mohammed’s first visit to the White House since Khashoggi’s death seven years ago.
A reporter asked Mohammed about the Khashoggi incident, but Trump immediately interjected: 'He knows nothing about this incident. You don’t need to ask such questions that would embarrass our guest.'
In October 2018, Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. U.S. intelligence agencies alleged that Mohammed ordered Khashoggi’s killing, which he denies any involvement in.