Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a lavish welcome at the White House, complete with a red carpet and fighter jet flyover, as he met with Donald Trump. While the leaders publicly praised each other and highlighted strong relations, their private meeting turned tense over the issue of normalizing ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Trump pressed for Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, but the crown prince resisted, citing strong anti-Israel sentiment in his country following the Gaza war and insisting on progress toward a Palestinian state as a prerequisite. Despite the standoff, both sides left the door open for potential future normalization, though significant obstacles remain.