The US and Saudi Arabia are working to conclude an agreement on defense and security until the end of 2024 to push the document through the US Senate. This was reported by the TV channelSky News Arabia with reference to sources.
“The US and Saudi Arabia are working to conclude a deal in the field of defense by the end of the year”, say the channel's interlocutors. “Washington is trying to pass a defense deal with Saudi Arabia in the Senate before the end of the year to secure 60 votes,” they added.
According to Sky News Arabia sources, the US fears that if the deal is delayed until Republican Donald Trump, who won the election, takes office as president, the agreement will not pass the Senate. The channel's interlocutors did not specify details of the deal, but noted that it "will form a common basis for a wider set of agreements, including Lebanon and the Gaza Strip".
On April 29, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told a special session of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh that Washington and Riyadh have worked actively in recent months to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. According to him, the key conditions are the resolution of the conflict in Gaza and the implementation of the decision to establish a Palestinian state.
In September, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud said the kingdom would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. According to Axios portal sources, Washington and Riyadh are discussing the possibility of concluding security agreements that do not imply normalization of relations between the kingdom and Israel. In this case, however, the agreement will not turn into a full-fledged defense pact, on the possibility of concluding which Washington and Riyadh were working before the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the US election on November 5. In addition, the Republicans were able to take control of the US Senate. Trump's inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025