US, Saudis close to deal on security bilateral agreement: White House
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Jake Sullivan previously revealed that the White House would not be signing a security agreement with Saudi Arabia without the latter agreeing to normalize ties with the Israeli occupation.
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White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House on May 13, 2024 (AP)
According to the White House on Monday, the United States and Saudi Arabia are close to reaching a bilateral deal after the US national security advisor made substantial progress in negotiations with the Saudis over the weekend.
White House National Security Secretary John Kirby stated that the two sides are "closer than we've ever been" to reaching a deal that is now "near final."
The conversations follow rumors that Washington and Riyadh are nearing an agreement on US security guarantees and civilian nuclear aid, even as an Israeli-Saudi normalization accord envisioned as part of a Middle East "grand deal" remains out of reach.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed a broad bilateral agreement and the Israeli war on Gaza, the Saudi state news agency reported on Sunday.
A statement read that the meeting in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, reviewed "the near-final version of the draft strategic agreements between the two countries, which are close to completion."
Washington and Riyadh have been negotiating US security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance as part of a broader agreement aimed at normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and "Israel."
The de facto Saudi leader and US President Joe Biden's top security aide also discussed the need to establish a "credible track for bringing about the two-state solution" for "Israel" and the Palestinians, end the war on Gaza, and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, according to the statement.
As per a Reuters report earlier this month, the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia have been working to complete the nuclear agreement.
Prior to the start of the war on Gaza, the Palestinian Authority had agreed for Riyadh to normalize relations with "Israel" without the granting of Palestinian statehood. That agreement came to a complete halt when "Israel" launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza.
On May 5, Sullivan told the Financial Times that the White House would not be signing a security agreement with Saudi Arabia without the latter agreeing to normalize ties with the Israeli occupation.
