In a week marked by diplomatic spectacle and political controversy, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to Washington, D.C. has reignited debate over the future of U.S.-Saudi relations, the legacy of Donald Trump, and the unresolved shadow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder.
On Tuesday, the White House rolled out the red carpet for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with President Donald Trump offering a lavish welcome. The event was punctuated by an F-35 flyover—an unmistakable symbol of military partnership and shared ambition. According to Arab News, the visit was intended to “reset the tone of the Saudi-US relationship” and to “redefine it,” coming exactly 80 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s historic meeting with King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy. This time, the stakes were just as high, if not higher.
The Saudi delegation arrived in Washington amid renewed calls for transparency about the U.S. response to the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and outspoken critic of the Saudi regime. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the murder, which took place inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, was approved by the crown prince himself.
Representative Eugene Vindman, who represents Virginia—the state Khashoggi called home—stood alongside Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, at a news conference on the eve of the crown prince’s visit. Vindman, a retired Army officer and former National Security Council (NSC) staffer, demanded the release of a classified transcript of a phone call between Trump and bin Salman, which reportedly took place on June 21, 2019. “The Khashoggi family and the American people deserve to know what was in that call… the receipts will raise serious questions,” Vindman told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
While Vindman declined to reveal the classified details, he described the call as “shocking” and said it involved a quid pro quo, implying that Trump offered a favor in return for something from the Saudi leader. The precise nature of the exchange remains under wraps, but the timing—less than a year after Khashoggi’s murder—has only fueled speculation. “In my opinion, that call was shocking,” Vindman reiterated, declining to elaborate further due to the classified nature of the information.
Dozens of congressional Democrats joined Vindman in signing a letter demanding the White House make the transcript public, arguing that transparency is essential for both justice and accountability. The push for disclosure has been met with sharp resistance from the Trump camp. White House communications director Steven Cheung dismissed Vindman as “a bitter back-bencher who nobody takes seriously. He is a serial liar.”
The controversy over the phone call is not without precedent. Vindman, who reviewed confidential calls during his NSC tenure, was also concerned by another call—this one with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That conversation led to Trump’s first impeachment, after he was accused of pressuring Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, his eventual 2020 rival. Vindman’s twin brother, Alexander, also served on the NSC and played a key role in bringing the Ukraine call to light.
Despite the uproar, the official focus of the Saudi visit was on forging a new era of partnership. As Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas observed, the visit was “the formal launch of a new era, one built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a clear-eyed understanding of the region’s evolving dynamics.” At the heart of this transformation lies Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030—a sweeping plan to diversify the kingdom’s economy, reduce its dependence on oil, and open its doors to global investment and innovation.
During the Washington meetings, Saudi Arabia pledged up to $1 trillion in investments, primarily aimed at purchasing U.S. military equipment, advanced technology, and expertise in areas like artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, and mining. The deal is not a gift, Abbas noted, but rather “intended to buy F-35s, tanks, the latest technology in artificial intelligence, and US expertise… provided, of course, that the US approves the sales, and delivers on its part.”
For Trump, the visit was as much about legacy as it was about commerce. The former president, often described as a consummate dealmaker, sees in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for American companies and workers. “Trump, the entrepreneur and dealmaker, recognizes this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Saudi Arabia, and does not want American companies and industry to miss the chance, as it has done in the past,” wrote Abbas.
The partnership, however, extends beyond business. Both sides discussed regional peace efforts, including Saudi mediation between Russia and Ukraine, lobbying to lift sanctions on Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime, and efforts to end the conflict in Sudan. Trump even expressed a willingness to engage directly with Iran and revealed plans to meet Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun—moves that signal a broader strategy of regional stabilization through dialogue and inclusion.
On the question of Israel, the crown prince made it clear that Saudi Arabia would consider joining the Abraham Accords—a U.S.-brokered agreement to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states—if Israel recognized a Palestinian state and addressed what he called “historic injustices.” Abbas reflected, “Once again, the crown prince made it clear: Saudi Arabia has no objection to joining the Abraham Accords—provided Israel does its part by recognizing a Palestinian state and correcting a historic injustice.”
While some critics allege that Saudi Arabia is attempting to “buy its way into US decision-making” with the massive investment pledge, the kingdom’s supporters argue that Vision 2030 is fundamentally about modernization and mutual benefit. “That amount—whether it materializes fully, partially, or even if transactions exceed it—is in no way a gift to the Trump administration,” wrote Abbas. Instead, the investments are designed to secure the goods, services, and knowledge transfer needed to build a future-ready Saudi Arabia.
For foreign investors and tourists to flock to the kingdom for upcoming global events like Expo 2030 or the 2034 World Cup, regional stability is a prerequisite. Saudi officials argue that the prosperity generated by Vision 2030 will ripple out to neighboring countries, fostering development and peace across the Middle East.
As the dust settles from the crown prince’s visit, the U.S.-Saudi relationship stands at a crossroads—one defined as much by unresolved questions about the past as by bold visions for the future. The release of the Trump-bin Salman call transcript remains a flashpoint, with advocates insisting that only full transparency can ensure justice for Jamal Khashoggi and accountability for those in power. Meanwhile, the promise of economic transformation and regional peace hangs in the balance, dependent on the choices of leaders in Washington, Riyadh, and beyond.
In a world where alliances shift and ambitions collide, the events of this week have shown that the future of the Middle East—and America’s role in it—remains very much unwritten.