Biden administration aims to reach milestone deal with Saudi Arabia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Wall Street Journal
10 Jun 2024 16:27
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The potential agreement comes at a time when US influence in the region is waning and its efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza have seen little success.

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Saudi and US flags line the King Abdulaziz Road in the Saudi Red Sea port city of Jeddah, on July 14, 2022. (AFP)

US President Joe Biden's administration aims to achieve a significant diplomatic milestone by concluding a US-Saudi security alliance while normalizing diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and "Israel", The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and Saudi officials.

The officials revealed that the United States is finalizing the text of a defense pact with Saudi Arabia. The newspaper noted that the potential agreement comes at a time when US influence in the region is waning and its efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza have seen little success.

The proposed security treaty would commit the US to defending Saudi Arabia and "entrench the US military role in the Middle East," the report indicated.

Last month, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated in an interview with the Financial Times that Washington and Riyadh were nearing a deal that would "reshape the Middle East."

According to the WSJ report, the US-Saudi deal would include cooperation on a Saudi civilian nuclear program, the sale of state-of-the-art US-made weapons to Riyadh, and possibly a trade agreement. Sullivan highlighted that such a defense pact would require Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with "Israel".

On the other hand, "Israel" would need to agree to a "two-state solution" and recognize a Palestinian state. Additionally, an immediate end to the war in Gaza is essential, though both options seem improbable, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has reiterated its rejection of the creation of a Palestinian state and Netanyahu has made it clear he would not end the aggression on Gaza before eliminating the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas.

The report mentioned that during Sullivan's meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the latter underlined the need to end the war on Gaza.

The US-Saudi Arabia treaty, officially known as the Strategic Alliance Agreement, would require a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. Without a commitment from Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with "Israel", the deal is unlikely to garner sufficient support from US lawmakers, according to the WSJ.