President Trump on Tuesday announced that the US will designate Saudi Arabia as a “major non-NATO ally” during his remarks at a black-tie dinner in honor of the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“We’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them,” Trump said, noting that the designation came shortly after he and bin Salman signed “a historic strategic defense agreement.”

“I’m just telling you now for the first time, because I wanted to keep a little secret for tonight,” Trump told the crown prince from the stage. “I just heard him say, ‘Oh, that’s nice.’ That’s another point you won today.”

The defense agreement “reinforc[es] America’s role as a regional

See Full Page