US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
The United States and Saudi Arabia have made “good progress” in talks to normalize relations between the kingdom and Israel, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who did not provide a deadline for reaching an agreement.
“I believe we can reach an agreement, which would present a historic opportunity for two nations, but also for the region as a whole,” Blinken said on Thursday at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.
Normalization talks were halted in the immediate wake of the Oct. 7 surprise blitz by Palestinian Hamas resistance fighters and Israel’s brutal assault on besieged Gaza, but they have restarted in recent months.
While attempting to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, the Biden administration has been seeking to negotiate a normalization agreement.
Riyadh hopes to reach a mutual defense agreement with Washington and gain US support for its civil nuclear development.
Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Wednesday as part of an official visit.
“We had a very good discussion about the work that we’ve been doing for many months now on normalization, and that work is moving forward. We’re continuing to make good progress,” Blinken said but added that he could not offer a timeframe.
Earlier, a senior State Department official stated that Washington and Riyadh were down to a few bilateral concerns, and there was political resolve to close those gaps.
A deal that provides the world’s largest oil exporter with US military protection in exchange for normalization would transform the Middle East by joining two long-time adversaries and tying Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is making advances in the area.
